DBZ Sailor Moon: Specter of Revenge
by Grey Wolf1
Summary: New unknown enemies have laid siege to Crystal Tokyo, and they seem to have limitless power. With no options left, Sailor Pluto and a soldier chosen by the queen begin to put their desperation plan into the works...
1. Final Desperation

Sailor Moon/Dragonball Z: Specter of Revenge  
  
Author's Note: This is one of my first attempts at a fanfic alone, let alone a crossover story. In the DBZ timeline, it takes place somewhere between the end of Garlic Junior's attempted takeover of Earth and before the arrival of Cyber Frieza. In the Sailor Moon timeline, it occurs in the future, in Crystal Tokyo. I'm more of a Dragonball Z fan than a Sailor Moon watcher, but thanks to some friends I think I know enough about it to write a good story. Enjoy!   
  
Chapter 1: Final Desperation  
  
Trevor Fields slammed the heavy steel door behind him, throwing his hand up on the wall and desperately feeling for the locking device. As his black-gloved hand finally landed on the activation switch and the defensive shield rose outside the door to temporarily block off the ruthless invaders, Trevor breathed a grateful sigh of relief. Catching his breath from the long sprint, he started thanking the heavens that he had been granted at least a few minutes of reprieve from the fierce onslaught. Ever since the first of them arrived, the demonic warriors had spared them no mercy, given them no chance to breathe. And for him, a soldier on the battlefield, that meant perpetual hell.   
  
And I'm not the only one...   
  
Sheathing his sword for the moment, he bent down to examine his comrade who had been injured during the rough excursion to the building. Just one look at the scorched, cracked, blood stained armor of Seth Victor was enough to make Trevor cringe. His entire midsection had been almost totally pierced by one of the attacker's energy beams, still giving off wisps of smoke and the stench of burning flesh and blood.   
  
"Can you move?" Trevor asked with slight optimism.   
  
Using the steel wall as a brace, Seth pushed himself slightly upward with an agonizing groan, but painfully slumped down again, regretfully succumbing to his wounds. "Sorry, Trevor, he got me good with that energy attack. I can't believe I didn't see it coming..."   
  
"Don't worry, you got here alive," Trevor pulled out a small rag and managed to sponge up some of the seeping crimson fluid from Seth's body. "I've got to admit, even I didn't think you'd make it, let alone take out a few of those freaks in the process."   
  
Seth managed a slight chuckle as he coughed up another gob of blood onto the clear crystal floor. "Well, if I'm going to die, I might as well take a few with me."   
  
"Don't say that!" Trevor barked as he wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead. "You're not dead yet. Wounds can be healed, my friend."   
  
"Huh," Seth coughed. "Not in the middle of a battlefield with no medical equipment. Remember, most of that has been pretty much used up by now."   
  
Trevor sighed, grudgingly knowing that Seth was right. The situation had been looking more dismal by the day ever since the brutal war had begun. It had only been a short time after the Nemesis crisis when the youthful queen of Crystal Tokyo, the leader of a brave new world, had become the target of a new enemy, and this time, they were unknowns - foreign mercenaries with more powerful energy-manipulation skills than anyone ever imagined. Their first strikes against the kingdom were quick, unexpected, and ruthlessly efficient. Within days, a quarter of the unprepared Tokyo Special Forces had fallen, and most of the main city had been occupied. There hadn't been any demands, no motives for launching a mass annihilation campaign against the young kingdom, but one thing had become certain from the very first skirmishes between the warriors and small Tokyo special forces: they had the upper hand. And every day left more and more dead in the path of the strange assassins. Even the Sailor Soldiers, the most powerful and certainly the most courageous fighters in the kingdom, seemed helpless before the mysterious warriors. In any perspective, the kingdom was on the verge of total collapse at the current rate.   
  
Hence, our mission here today.   
  
Trevor wasn't one hundred percent certain about the queen's special orders to him and Seth, but she had said that it was of utmost importance that they pull through, for it could've meant the turning point in the war.   
  
I don't see how crossing the city to the communications tower is going to help turn this fight around...but if the queen said it was important...   
  
"Do you have the disk?" Seth asked.   
  
"Yes," Trevor pulled the shiny circular disk from his pouch. The queen had given it to him by her own hand, instructing him to download the information into a probe in the tower and to send the probe out into space. He hurried across the small empty room toward the storage bays implanted into the wall, hoping that at least one probe still remained in the launch tube. He didn't want to have to go to the trouble of constructing a new one from scratch.   
  
As the panel whooshed open, Trevor smiled in relief as one undamaged probe remained ready to launch. Opening the data port, Trevor inserted the disk into the slot and started the download of the queen's vital information into the memory banks.   
  
"It's starting," Trevor reported to his fellow soldier. "In a few minutes, it'll be ready to launch."   
  
Seth slowly lifted his drooping head, fatigue and grogginess evident in his glazed eyes. "Good...then we can finally...win this war??"  
  
Trevor dropped down next to Seth, wiping away some more blood from his friend's horrendous wounds. "I don't know what information the queen put on that disk, but if she's confident that the recipients of the message can save this planet, then I guess all we can do is go along with it and pray that she's right."   
  
Seth let out a small laugh. "Heh, heh...always loyal to the queen...this war hasn't changed you one bit, old friend...why, I'd bet that you'd take one of those energy blasts for her."  
  
Trevor returned a small smile. "I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't take a thousand of them for her. She's our queen; it's my duty to protect her foremost. I only regret that I couldn't stay back with the palace unit to safeguard her. I don't know why, but the closer she is when I fight these demons, the more determined I am to protect her, and the more vigor runs through my blood."   
  
"I think we're all like that now..." Seth agreed. "She's not really a queen, but more like to mother to all of us...she can warm the soul of the most stone-faced soldier. I think...that each of us...owes her quite a bit in that respect..."   
  
"All the more reason for us to protect her, especially from these monsters," Trevor nodded. "But I guess we are serving her best in this critical mission. If it's as important as she said, then--"   
  
Suddenly, Trevor's radio started beeping loudly, surprising both soldiers. Trevor pulled the radio out of its pouch and accepted the incoming transmission. "Field Unit Gamma Nine, Trevor Fields reporting," He said into the transmitter with slight trepidation. Nobody would contact a unit through an open channel unless it was an emergency. "What's going on?"   
  
"Home Unit Alpha Five, Royce Benson...are you receiving, Gamma Nine?" Trevor recognized the voice as one of the palace guard captains, a good friend of his.   
  
"Yes, I am receiving, Alpha Five," He replied. "We've penetrated the location and the download has begun. The probe will launch in minutes. How go things back at the palace and the queen?"   
  
Benson paused in his response. "They've......taken her."   
  
Trevor felt his blood begin to freeze and his skin turn pale at the three words. From the look of shock of Seth's face, Trevor knew he felt the same.   
  
"H...how??"   
  
"I'm sorry, Trevor," Benson solemnly apologized. "They attacked out of nowhere and from all sides. We tried our best to hold them off...but there were too many. It looked well organized...they knew exactly where to hit our blockades and where we were hiding the queen. They took her and retreated."   
  
Trevor felt his heart begin to sink. His queen...he hadn't been there to protect her...and now she was gone...dead, prisoner, it didn't seem to matter anymore.   
  
"What about casualties??"   
  
"Over three-quarters of our palace defense team was killed before the enemy retreated. The Sailor Soldiers were slightly wounded, but they are recovering now. The king...was critically wounded in the fight. He's unconscious now...we don't know if he'll recover or not at this point..."   
  
Trevor felt like he was going to throw up. His voice was shaky as his trembling fingers pressed the transmitter button once more. "Very well, Alpha Five. We'll finish this and return to assist you. Until then...take care of the princess and the others. The queen would want it that way."   
  
"You got it, friend," Benson replied before terminating the link.   
  
Trevor dropped the radio to floor, not bothering to turn it off. "Well...as if things couldn't get any worse...the queen is gone...the king is injured...who's left to lead the war besides the Sailor Soldiers?"   
  
"The...queen..." Seth began coughing hoarsely, spurts of blood shooting out of his mouth as he slumped further down to the floor. Trevor immediately scrambled through his bag, searching for any first aid equipment he could find.   
  
"No...don't bother with me anymore, Trevor...my sight's starting to go...I think...I may be..."   
  
"No!" Trevor cried, lifting Seth's head up with his hands. His eyes were looking faint and distant, and his paling skin told Trevor that the life was leaving his friend. "Don't die on me, Seth! We have to finish this together, right beside our queen!"   
  
Seth managed to focus his large brown eyes on Trevor for a short instant, a smile forming on his face. "Sorry, friend, I can't go with you this time. My...time on the battlefield...has been well spent...and I will go to my grave...happy that...I could serve...my queen...until the end..."   
  
"Seth..." Trevor's empty feeling of helplessness began growing as his friend kept drifting further and further away.   
  
"But promise me...you'll finish this mission...and pray for me...that it saves this world..."   
  
Trevor nodded. "I promise, kid," He smiled.   
  
"Glory...to...the......queen......" Seth's eyes rolled back and closed, his head dropping down onto the crystalline floor with a dull thud.   
  
"Rest in peace, Seth," Trevor laid his body onto the floor. "I'll get them for you!"   
  
"How courageous," A soft female voice commented from the shadows.   
  
"Who's there?!" Trevor bolted upward, drawing his steel sword and glancing around at the darkened areas of the chamber for signs of an armored enemy soldier. "Show yourself!"   
  
Several seconds passed in silence, Trevor's grip on his blade tightening.   
  
Suddenly, the voice spoke again, as calm and gentle as before. "At ease, young soldier," she said again. "You have nothing to fear, I am not your enemy."  
  
Trevor let out a bold response. "How am I supposed to know that? Besides, if you were on our side, how come you stood there and let my friend die without even trying to help me save him?"  
  
The reply was hesitant but firm. "There was no way to save him. We have no medical supplies, no healing powers of any kind at our disposal. I'm sorry, I wanted your comrade to live as much as you did, but it would have been a wasted effort."  
  
Trevor's eyes lowered, hating to admit that she was right. "Then, who are you?" He demanded.   
  
His gaze shot into the far-left corner of the room as he heard a woman's heels begin to click on the floor. From out of the shadows stepped a tall, beautiful lady with long black hair highlighted with shades of dark green. In her hands was a long, elegant, garnet-tipped staff that sparkled softly in the room. Her crimson eyes were filled with intelligence and somewhat of a warm charm that told Trevor that she was no ordinary person. Looking at the outfit she was wearing seemed to confirm his hunch: it was the white and dark green suit of a Sailor Soldier. However, she wasn't any one of the soldiers that he had seen before.  
  
Wait a second... Trevor's mind clicked as he recalled what he had learned about the more elusive and somewhat xenophobic Sailor Soldiers from the outer planets. While Neptune and Uranus he knew well, there was another who was said to be the guardian of the time continuum.  
  
"Sailor Pluto, I presume?" Trevor ventured a guess, sheathing his blade.  
  
The mystery woman nodded. "Yes, I am the guardian of time as well as faithful soldier to NeoQueen Serenity. I must admit that I am surprised you recognized me. I am not well known among even the queen's most loyal followers."  
  
"We soldiers have our ways," Trevor replied with a smirk. "Besides, the princess speaks the world of you a lot, and because of that, how could we not know about the illustrious guardian of time?"  
  
Pluto chuckled a bit at the mention of the queen's kind-hearted daughter. "She always was a sweet girl. I must visit the palace sometime to see her and the others."  
  
"I'm afraid that the morale among the others won't exactly be high," Trevor regretfully explained.  
  
Pluto lowered her head, her smile melting into a sorrowful frown. "Yes, I know of the enemy's recent abduction of the queen, and I am angered that even my power cannot free her. But I can still sense her pure energy, so I know that she is alive and unharmed. The question is what the enemy wants with her."  
  
"A good question, indeed," Trevor agreed, reorganizing his bag and checking his supplies. "But tell me, why have you come here?"  
  
"I have come here to aid you in your mission," Sailor Pluto explained. "You have done extremely well in making it here and readying the probe for launch, but I sense that you're not fully aware of the critical nature of this task."  
  
"So the queen explained it all to you?" Trevor arched an eyebrow in pleasant surprise, looking over at the probe. After all of the trouble he'd gone through for this probe, he was glad to finally get some answers regarding it. "Then tell me, what is this all about? Who is this data meant for?"  
  
"It is quite complicated and it took much consideration on the part of the queen and myself," she responded, taking a seat on one of the benches built into the wall. "In fact, it is something that goes against almost everything I stand for as guardian of time."  
  
Trevor dropped down next to his bag, sorting through the contents while paying close attention to Sailor Pluto. "You're saying that this has to do with time travel??"  
  
"Yes. As you know by now, before the war broke out, these probes were perfected for temporal travel. They were originally supposed to be used for galactic exploration and security, but the war changed their purpose once the queen had conducted some research into Earth's past."  
  
"Earth's past?" Trevor asked in confusion. "What does the former world have to do with this enemy?"  
  
"It's not connected in any way with our invaders," Pluto continued. "But with our inability to counter the awesome powers that our enemies possess, the queen has reluctantly decided to search for assistance from an outside source in Earth's past."  
  
"But will reinforcements make a difference though? You Sailor Soldiers are the most powerful defenders of Earth that ever existed. Who out in the timeline could possibly be stronger than you that we haven't learned about before from the queen?"  
  
"Indeed we had defended Earth well in our times on the battlefield," Pluto nodded. "However, we were not the only ones who possessed such power and determination to keep the planet safe from enemy clutches. At around the same time as the Sailor Soldiers were beginning to appear, more battles were being waged in other areas of the world involving a group of freedom fighters known as the Z Warriors."  
  
"Z Warriors?" Trevor leaned forward, his attention being drawn more and more by Pluto's explanation. "What kind of fighters are they, like you?"  
  
"No, quite different from our powers," Pluto shook her head. "While we draw our powers from our respective planets, these fighters are very well learned in multiple martial arts techniques. In fact, they are so powerful that most of them could even destroy entire planets with no effort."  
  
"What?!" Trevor gasped in utter shock. "T...that's impossible!!"  
  
"I reacted similarly when the queen told me about these fighters," Pluto admitted. "Even I found such power hard to fathom, but it is true. As far as the warriors are concerned involving this horrible war, however, we hope that this message reaches them and that they can come forward in time to help assist us."  
  
"But why the probe?" Trevor inquired, looking over at the humming object, the data download still   
not complete. "Couldn't you just return to their time and tell them face to face?"  
  
"I could, but I'm afraid that the sheer crisis of our situation wouldn't come across as effectively without visual data. Besides, with the horrible enemies that have fought with them, they would likely suspect me as one of those same monsters if I went alone."  
  
Trevor scratched his chin, his confidence still not behind the intricate plan. "But how do we know that these guys will even help us? If they're so powerful, they might just side with the invaders, the stronger force of the two of our armies. It would seem natural for beings of similar strengths to join together."  
  
"The queen assured me that though they possess awesome power, most of the fighters have pure hearts, more interested in using their powers to safeguard the innocent from evil. And with such power on our side, the tide of this war could shift dramatically."  
  
Trevor had to agree with her on that point. "I'd certainly like to think so," he remarked. "It just seems that as of late, the strength factor has never been in our favor - we've been the underdogs in every struggle since Crystal Tokyo was born. But it would be nice to have some of our fighting spirit back...but I take that the others don't know about this plan,"   
  
"No, because of the volatility and uncertainty of such a plan, it would be best not to instill more concern into the minds of the other Sailor Soldiers or the remaining Special Forces members. For now, only you, Captain Benson, the queen, and myself had known of this plan."   
  
The disk popped out of the data port of the probe, download complete. Trevor stood up and removed it from the slot, staring at the probe with trepidation. Endless possibilities of the scenarios that could have played out after he hit the launch button flooded his mind. All of them ended up at one of two conclusions: sealing the fate of Crystal Tokyo, or a counterattack strong enough to repel the demons infesting their kingdom.  
  
I never thought it would come to something like this. But if this were to backfire... He stared over at Pluto, who still looked slightly uncertain for the same reason, and with good cause. He could understand her resentment to such an act - who knew what kind of ill effects it would have on the timeline itself, the very life stream that Sailor Pluto had sworn to protect. But suddenly, one last fact occurred to Trevor that brought a smile to his face. The queen had located these warriors herself, and she had good judgment when it came to decisions affecting her people. If she thought that these Z Warriors weren't trustworthy, she wouldn't have sent him through hell to send a distress call to them.  
  
"She knows what she's doing," he declared as he pocketed the disk with an optimistic smile. "When it comes to things like this, the queen never fails. And if these warriors arrive...I suspect that they won't either!"  
  
Pluto smiled and nodded. "So trusting and loyal, Serenity must be proud to have soldiers like you."  
  
"She's been a loving queen for as long as I can remember," Trevor said, memories of the queen's happy times resurfacing in his mind. "I'm just doing what's right, what she deserves for all she has given us in the past."  
  
He kneeled down next to the probe and began prepping it for the launch sequence. "So, suppose these guys get the message and decide to help out. How do they get here?"  
  
"That is another reason why the queen consulted me about this plan," Sailor Pluto explained. "Enclosed in the message is the location where they can meet me should they decide to answer our plea. I have already spoken with an old friend of mine in that era, and he has given me his assurances that they will show up."  
  
"A friend in a different time zone who knows both you and the Z Warriors?" Trevor remarked. "Boy, what would we do without you, Sailor Pluto?"  
  
She chuckled in response. "Thank you, but my efforts are wasted unless these fighters respond to this message."  
  
"And if they don't...?" Trevor asked with anxiety.  
  
"...Then I don't see how we can come back and win this war, let alone rescue the queen," she sorrowfully answered. "The probe seems to be ready now."  
  
Trevor slammed the activation switch, causing the spherical pod to drop into a hollow launching tube from its resting position against the wall. Pressing another series of button commands on the panel next to the launcher, the orb was propelled upward through the tube, and Trevor saw from the skylight that it had gotten out safely and was now rocketing its way up into the starry void.  
  
"Good, they didn't spot it," Trevor commented with a bit of relief as he relaxed his body. "Well, it's all in your hands now, Sailor Pluto."  
  
"Yes," she nodded, shaking Trevor's hand. "Will you be all right here? I'd hate to leave you stranded in this wasteland."  
  
Trevor allowed himself a bold laugh. "Don't worry about me, Sailor Pluto, I can survive out here for a while until I run into another field unit. Besides, with the prospect of getting some leverage in our favor for a change, I'm in a fighting mood!"  
  
"Soldiers never change, no matter what era of time," she sighed with a warm smile. Taking her staff in her left hand, she tapped the floor a few times, the sound echoing against the walls of the chamber even louder than usual. Suddenly, a red spark formed in front of her, expanding into a swirling vortex of volatile energy. "Farewell, brave Trevor Fields. Please be careful!"  
  
"I will! Take care!" He gave one last wave to Sailor Pluto before she disappeared into the vortex. The swirling energy pool then shrunk to the size of a small ball and disappeared with a bright flash, leaving Trevor in silence.  
  
Suddenly, a loud banging on the entrance snapped the spell, drawing Trevor's mind back into reality. A horrible realization then occurred to him.  
  
Oh great, they've must've seen the probe launch after all and want to take out the source...  
  
Trevor drew his sword and took up a fighting stance, keeping his iron gaze on the door. The outer shield wouldn't hold against their powerful blows, and soon they'd be all over him, a gang massacre to say the least.  
  
But they won't take me without casualties.  
  
Suddenly, the door exploded inward, sending fiery debris everywhere. As Trevor recovered from a   
few sharp bits of metal jabbing him in the chest and ribs, he resumed his fighting stance and faced the ruined door, knowing that a mob was waiting for him behind the curtain of black smoke. But he didn't care at all - if this was to be his last battle, he wanted to make it count. Since Sailor Pluto was hopefully bringing back reinforcements, he could rest in peace more easily, knowing that the queen would be safe with the combined powers of their army and the Z Warriors.  
  
Godspeed, Sailor Pluto, glory to the queen!!  
  
With a cry of rage, Trevor charged forward. 


	2. Message from Afar

Chapter 1: Message From Afar  
  
The horizon certainly was picturesque with the rising sun shining in its orange and yellow splendor. The radiant rays glared brightly off of the calm waters of the valley's lake, arousing the fish from their slumber and bidding them to begin their morning feast. From the gentle splashing caused by the fish, birds were awakened from their roosts and the woodland animals arose from their sleep to begin another day of survival of the fittest.  
  
Piccolo had seen such serene sights on Earth before, but it couldn't compare to his home-planet, Namek. He had never gotten to see the full extent of its natural splendor because of the battle with Frieza, but he was sure that his Namekian brothers were once again living in peace on a similar world. As for himself, Earth was his home now, and as much as he wanted to return to his Namekian brethren, he had firmly decided that Earth was too beautiful of a planet to leave.  
  
And besides, there was Gohan.  
  
The pint-sized Saiyan child had somehow changed him over the course of the last few years. Even now, after the wars with the Saiyans and Frieza, Piccolo still couldn't fathom how Gohan's innocent smile and his natural kindness even toward a stone-faced warrior like himself could warm his once ice cold heart. But nevertheless, Piccolo considered Gohan his best friend...perhaps one of his only friends other than Goku, who harbored the same natural charity and mercy to every rival. People like Bulma, Chi-Chi, and Master Roshi still had their own doubts about his true motives. The times of crisis had passed, and old grudges had settled back into the minds of their creators. He couldn't blame them, not after he had demonstrated the evil, insidious nature that was passed down to him from Daimou by attempting to kill Goku and conquer the world.  
  
But after all of the nonstop adventures over the last several years, with him being in the unfamiliar role as savior of the peace, even Piccolo himself was uncertain of his path in life. Would he eventually return to the evil, world-conquering demon that Daimou had wished him to be now that the greater power was out of the way? Or would he continue on the road of goodness, standing by Goku and Gohan in times of crisis to preserve the safety of the innocent?  
  
Only training...discipline...and concentration can reveal my fate.   
  
Piccolo sat cross-legged on the soft grass and raised his body into the air. He hadn't meditated since his days on King Kai's small planet. Needless to say, he certainly wouldn't want to get out of practice. Meditation was an excellent way to increase his strength through mental concentration, making it an essential part of his training. Closing his eyes, Piccolo focused his mind onto nothing but the scene in front of him, straining it, stretching his mental thoughts to make his entire body stronger. He pictured the water of the lake down below in his mind, with the calm waters rippling with the cool morning breeze. He pressed his thoughts like waves of energy into the water, trying to manipulate it as he saw fit. He forced the waters to part at inconceivable angles, rising and lowering them at the whim of his thoughts. Finding his efforts to be a success, Piccolo allowed himself one proud smirk. Even during times of peace, he was always at his best.   
  
Suddenly, an explosion from behind him jarred him out of his mental training. The spell was immediately broken as Piccolo's eyes snapped open and he dropped to his feet, scanning the valley behind him for the source of the disturbance. Then, his sharp eyes fell upon a smoking spherical object lying in a crater near a giant oak tree down in the valley. Piccolo's blood ran cold.  
  
It couldn't be...is it another Saiyan space pod???  
  
Piccolo rushed over, almost carelessly, to see if his fears were confirmed. The last thing they needed on Earth now was another belligerent member of that warrior race. Piccolo had experienced enough from the Saiyan race for one lifetime just from Goku, let alone Vegeta, Nappa, and Radditz.  
  
As Piccolo came to a halt in front of the object, he sighed with relief - it was not a Saiyan ship. The alien sphere - though similar in appearance to the ships that had carried Goku, Vegeta, Nappa, and Radditz to Earth - did not have a red-tinted window that revealed a passenger. Instead, there was a small blue crystal inserted in a tiny hole on the top of the sphere. A rectangular panel with rainbow-colored controls sparkled beneath the crystal.  
  
Wha...what in the...???  
  
Piccolo edged closer to the strange device, waiting for a security device or a booby trap to go off. But even as he reached a clawed finger toward the control panel and touched one of its brightly colored pads, the only sound made by the device was the humming of the engines.  
  
Well, at least it doesn't seem harmful...yet. Perfect, I can't even tell what this thing is for or how to work it. Technology was never my strong suit...  
  
In fact, he doubted that he could tell the difference between a button and a lever. But he did know someone he did...  
  
Bulma...the one who probably distrusts and hates me the most out of all of them...  
  
Still, he couldn't stop just because the selfish brainy daughter of some rich scientist was suspicious of his motives. There was possibly much more at stake - if he couldn't figure out what the device was for, it could possibly mean disaster. He'd been through enough to know not to trust any alien devices - such as the Scouter of a certain Saiyan named Radditz - no matter how harmless they might've seemed. And he had fought too hard and too long for his planet to lose it because of carelessness.  
  
Whirling around - certain that the strange space pod would go nowhere and would remain undisturbed in the quiet valley - Piccolo took off in the direction of Capsule Corporation. He knew that Gohan usually spent his weekends there visiting with friends. Gohan would convince Bulma to trust him should the need arise.  
  
Another problem that worried him was Vegeta. Piccolo knew all-too-well that the devious Saiyan would be training on the grounds of Capsule Corporation, trying to attain Super Saiyan status while Goku was away. Even after King Kai's training and the fusion with Nail, Piccolo wasn't sure if he could stop the ruthless Vegeta if he took advantage of whatever secrets the pod might've carried. He would have to keep a low profile and hope that Vegeta was away when he divulged his find to Gohan and the others.  
  
But what could this thing be for? And who sent it??  
  
Hopefully, Bulma would have the answers.  
  
***  
  
The day was bright and full of life. Even from the lonely sanctuary high over Earth, the guardian of the planet enjoyed the peace and serenity permeating the atmosphere. It wasn't often where he could stand back and gaze at the clouds without contemplating the fate of his planet. Today seemed to be the first time in a long time where nothing down on the surface seemed to attract any of his attention, something uncommon for the past few years. However, despite the peaceful air that his own planet was basking in at present, a dark feeling of trepidation loomed over Kami's mind - a familiar emotion as of late for him - in regard to his planet in a time long past his reign as guardian. It wasn't the fear of its destruction, nor was it the fear of an alien threat like Frieza or the Saiyans. But rather, it was a fear for Piccolo, Gohan, Tenshinhan, and all of the other current defenders of Earth. He wondered if any of them would've ever expected what would befall them today.  
  
"Are you well, Kami?" Mr. Popo's voice startled him out of his thought. "You have seemed distraught as of late, has something happened?"  
  
The guardian of the Earth shook his head and turned to his friend with a smile, always grateful for his confidant's concern for his health. "Nothing is wrong with me, Popo; I am very well. However, I have felt that something is about to happen that will affect the lives of our friends once again."  
  
Popo set down the water jug he was carrying, a confused look in his small eyes. "Our friends...? Don't tell me..."  
  
Kami nodded solemnly. "Yes, I'm afraid another battle is about to begin. But this time, our warriors will have the choice as to whether or not they wish to fight."  
  
"What?" Popo asked, losing his friend's message even more. He had usually always been able to read into Kami's cryptic premonitions to guess at the current state of the planet, but even he seemed helpless this time. "I don't understand, Kami. What do you mean by having the choice to fight?"  
  
Kami stared out of the stone checkered window, the bright afternoon sun slipping through the small holes and warming his skin. "It's a long story, Popo, and I am afraid that I don't have the time to explain it now. Don't worry, go about your business and I shall reveal everything in detail after my duties here are completed for the day."  
  
"Duties?" Popo lifted the heavy ceramic water jug back into his grasp. "What business would you have to do here?"  
  
Kami smiled again. Since he had been away in the next world for so long, he had almost forgotten Popo's endless curiosity for his tasks as guardian. "It's a bit more complicated than it might seem, my friend. I'm expecting a guest here sometime today. She bears an important message for all of us."  
  
"A guest? Is it somebody we know?"  
  
He chuckled a bit. "Nobody you would know, or anybody else on this planet for that matter. She's an elusive type, but as guardian of this planet, I have known her quite well for the past few hundred years."  
  
"Few hundred?? But --" As Popo began, Kami turned back toward him, a serious look in his eyes, telling his friend through his gaze that he could not be detained any longer from the task at hand. Popo seemed to receive the message and took a bow. "She seems to be someone of importance. Very well, I'll leave you to prepare for her arrival."  
  
"Thank you, Popo," he nodded back to his friend, glad that he understood the importance of the situation. "Return when your duties are completed and I shall clarify everything for you."  
  
The stout little servant smiled back before departing the chamber through its wooden double doors, off to tend to the shrine as always.  
  
Kami then turned back toward his window, another smirk forming on his face as he refocused his senses on the familiar ki radiating from a person in the room with him. It had been there for some time as he had observed, obviously waiting for Popo to leave so it could speak to Kami in private. It was a wise move - no sense in worrying the hard-working tender to the shrine any more than necessary.  
  
"Setsuna," he softly called out. "You can speak anytime you wish to, I have all day if you'd like to wait any more."  
  
A tall woman with long, green-highlighted black hair and a long staff stepped out from the shadows, giggling gently at her old friend.  
  
"You never cease to amaze me with that keen awareness of yours, Kami," Sailor Pluto bowed her head in greeting. The elderly guardian returned the gesture. "One of these days, I'm going to find out how you do that little trick."  
  
"That's my own little secret, Setsuna," he said with a bit of arrogance. "How long has it been? I can sense that you have grown very powerful since our last meeting, but I can't figure out how you've aged so well for someone who has spent a few hundred years in a void."  
  
"Well then, I guess we both have our secrets to keep," she retorted, paying back the guardian's boastfulness. "How have things been here in your era, Kami? When I first returned here, I remember you telling me about a frightening immortal enemy that tried to overthrow your position as guardian."  
  
Kami couldn't help but cringe, horrible memories of Garlic Jr. and his insatiable plans to conquer Earth resurfacing in his memory. Never had he felt such evil and suffering when Garlic's Black Water Mist had transformed all of Earth into demonic zombies, and it sent chills through his warm body just thinking about it.   
  
"Yes, but thanks to the ones we call the Z Warriors, we managed to strip Garlic Jr. of his power and banish him to an eternal void of darkness of his own creation. Ever since he was defeated and my shrine was repaired from the fighting, peace has reigned," the guardian replied. "But since your brief initial visit several days ago, I have known that such rest and reprieve from war will not last for this world's young saviors."  
  
"So confident are you in their willingness to come to our assistance?" She arched an eyebrow. "You said so yourself, Kami, these fighters are enjoying the beloved peace for the first time in ages. Would they truly give it all up for a time they will not even live to see?"  
  
Kami gave her a confident, reassuring gaze. "Setsuna, please lay your fears to rest. I have trained some of these warriors myself, and I know that their hearts are virtuous and their intentions are righteous. Believe me when I tell you old friend, if they were courageous enough to challenge an immortal like Garlic Jr., then they will certainly come to your aid. It's just all a matter of when they receive your queen's message."  
  
Sailor Pluto smiled, her doubts seeming to vanish with her skeptical frown. "Thank you, Kami. My whole world is indebted to you!"  
  
"This is our planet as well, and no matter what time period, we must do what we can to preserve it from evil in any form. I just only wish that I could leave here to fight alongside all of you. However, I think that our fighters will serve you very well."  
  
"Let us hope so," she agreed, taking a seat on one of the wooden chairs in Kami's chamber. "Tell me, Kami, you said you trained some of them. What are some of these warriors like?"  
  
"Well, I have trained all but a few of them, but one of those few I should know better than anybody else..." he lowered his head.  
  
"You mean your evil counterpart?" She finished for him.   
  
"These days, I don't know what to think of Piccolo. Though he is the product of my own evil thoughts and emotions, something has changed in him over the past years. He has become more merciful, and he is now more of a defender of this planet rather than a destroyer of it. Even I can't figure out what he plans to do with this newfound peace."  
  
"I see..."  
  
Kami raised his head, not wanting to instill any doubt into Sailor Pluto's mind. "The most remarkable of the fighters on Earth at the moment is a small boy named Son Gohan. Though he is still very young, he possesses amazing dormant power, with more of it awakening with every battle. He could very well be the most powerful of the entire group."  
  
"He sounds like our princess," Pluto commented. "She has grown into a strong warrior as well, and she is developing qualities of a leader since the war broke out."  
  
"The other remaining warriors that I have trained in the past are Krillin, Yamcha, Tenshinhan, and Chaozu, all of them well-mastered in their own fields of the martial and mystical arts along with possessing phenomenal amounts of strength and character. It will be interesting to see how they will coexist with your own soldiers."  
  
Sailor Pluto laughed a little bit, the thought of such power fighters like the Z Warriors joining with her friends - the Sailor Soldiers - sounding extremely amusing to her. "They are a unique group, I must admit, but I treasure them as friends, and I would--"  
  
Kami's glance darted over to Sailor Pluto as she abruptly trailed off. He gasped as he saw her cheerful smiling face had turned a ghostly white and a pale look of shock was frozen in her eyes.  
  
"Setsuna?" He lifted his eyes. "What's wrong??"  
  
"I...I can feel it from here..." she stammered. "The enemy has made their move: several huge powers are headed toward the palace where my friends are! I must return immediately and help them!"  
  
"My goodness...but the message!" Kami reminded her in her panic. "How will they be able to go forward into your time without you??"  
  
Sailor Pluto stood up and opened her closed fist, revealing a small dazzling ruby. She extended her hand, dropping it into Kami's open palm. "Your holy power can activate this. It will create a temporary time vortex that will link this world and mine until I give the command to close it. Use it to send your friends to my era!"  
  
"Wait, Setsuna, perhaps if I hurry I can contact them and they can go back with--"  
  
"No, there is no time, the gigantic powers will be attacking the palace shortly," She cut him off. "Besides, I want them to see what they would be fighting for. I don't want to force anything upon them on such short notice. We will hold them off as long as we can until their arrival."  
  
"But--"  
  
"Don't worry about me, Kami, I promise you that I'll stay alive," she smiled back before recreating the glowing red energy vortex that served as a gateway back to her era. "Besides, I can sense that our probe has descended into the valley areas below here, and somebody with an enormous amount of energy was near it when it landed."  
  
"The valley?" Kami knew only one person who would inhabit the wilderness region at this hour. "Piccolo trains in that area everyday, it could only have been him!"   
  
Kami extended his senses down onto the surface below, scanning the valley quickly but thoroughly for his counterpart's ki. Sure enough, he managed to locate Piccolo within half a minute, and his ki level was higher then normal - too high for a relaxed state, too low for sufficient battling energy. It could've meant only one thing: he was flying - and at a very high speed - to the east. Kami grinned with relief as he remembered the closest landmark to Piccolo's training area: Capsule Corporation, always a good place to find someone like Gohan or Yamcha.  
  
"Yes, he's found it, I'm certain! Don't worry, Setsuna, reinforcements won't take much longer!"  
  
Sailor Pluto nodded. "Thank you again, Kami! Farewell!"  
  
Kami bowed politely as his long time friend disappeared into the swirling vortex. As soon as the glowing gateway vanished into the air, Kami sighed, still not liking the current state of things despite their luck in Piccolo's location of the probe. He could sense the titanic energies with his acute senses as well, and they were much larger than he had anticipated. And even with Pluto's increased strength, Kami wasn't sure if she and her friends would be able to contend against such evil.   
  
"Hang on, Setsuna," he whispered gently. "Please don't die on me, old friend..."   
  
***   
  
Gohan stepped slowly across the field surrounding Capsule Corporation. His mom and his other friends were already enjoying themselves over near the complex, but he couldn't bring himself to bask in the festive mood. He couldn't keep his mind off of his father. It had been months since his father had vanished into the depths of space after escaping the explosion of Namek, and he had still not returned. Gohan had lost count on how many times he had wished upon the stars for his dad to return home.  
  
Gohan stood in the fields, looking up at the clouds, imagining that his father was descending from the heavens with a warm smile on his face, eager to greet the family he had not seen for so long. But those visions didn't last, as they were quickly replaced by the dismal images of an uncertain past: he had last seen his dad when he had risen from the boiling lava of Namek, and the determined Super Saiyan had told him to leave while he finished Frieza. He could still remember his father's expression before he had turned and flown back toward the Capsule Corporation ship: anger, rage, and determination, all focused on Frieza. It had been something that Gohan had never seen in his father, who was usually a happy, go-lucky free spirit. Frieza's cruelty had done something to him, something that not even Goku himself could fathom. When he wasn't off training in his obsession to become a Super Saiyan, Vegeta had explained the legend of the Super Saiyan to them, but words and legends couldn't express the power that Gohan had felt when his dad had transformed. He had felt his blood race and his hair stand on end when he looked at his father, like his power was touching every being around him. But it wasn't just the rage against Frieza that had caused such a sensation, it was something else conflicting inside Goku himself, as if his soul was...changing, trying to battle between two completely different personalities.   
  
That power did it to him. It was a power of a killer, not a protector like him. It was a power that he didn't want...didn't want to have to use. He might be a Saiyan, but he's not a ruthless killer like Vegeta. He doesn't kill...doesn't fight unless others are in danger...why did you have to fight, dad? Why did you have to become so close to the ruthless Saiyan tyrant you never wanted to be? Why did life have to put you through so much...?  
  
Gohan sighed, knowing he would never be sure of the answer, even if his father returned. Life would not wait, not even for a Super Saiyan. And indeed, life was slowly settling back to normal now. He was back in studies, Krillin and Bulma were back to their usual lives, and the ones they had wished back from the dead were also enjoying their own peaceful existences.   
  
Piccolo had become a bit more of a recluse in the times of peace, but Gohan got to see him occasionally when his mother's attention was elsewhere, and he always had a blast sparring with his mentor, even if Piccolo almost always beat him. The Namek had started smiling a lot more lately when his student was around, showing less traits of the callous assassin that Gohan had seen so much during their first year of training together. In a way, Gohan had begun feeling the same sensation of warmth from his teacher that his father had given him for all of his life. Whether Piccolo had tried to comfort him in such a way because of his dad's absence, 'that was for him to know,' he had said with a devilish smirk.   
  
With a quick slew of cover stories and a bit of convincing to explain his extended absence, Yamcha had been able to return to his position on the Tokyo Titans baseball team, not to mention the money that came with it. With a permanent job landed, all he had to worry about was how to sustain relationship with Bulma all while keeping his training up. Since returning from King Kai's, he seemed to have found a new lease on life, with the added strength reinforcing his fighting spirit ten fold. He seemed to be training more than ever, trying to become a powerful warrior. For this cause, he'd taken up a partnership with Tenshinhan and spent most of his free time crashing with him and Chaozu, learning some of the mystical arts from the veteran fighter. It had improved him to a great extent - he was beginning to master techniques that would impress even Piccolo and Bulma.  
  
As for Tenshinhan, he was training as hard as he ever did, trying to combine a life of survival in the wild with mastery of the fighting arts, making himself stronger for the sake of the planet. He had demonstrated some amazing techniques to Gohan and the others, the result of countless hours on he training grounds, not to mention his training with King Kai. But under the rough, solemn exterior, there had always existed a heart of gold.   
  
Gohan himself felt a bit overwhelmed as he looked back on his past experiences. He never thought his crazy adventures would end - from being kidnapped by Radditz to narrowly escaping the burning Namek, it had been a thrill ride the whole way. It was certainly no way for an ordinary human kid to grow up, but then again, he was far from being an ordinary human kid.  
  
"Hey, Gohan," a gentle voice said from behind. Gohan's memories of the past began to fade as turned around and came face to face with Chaozu, Tenshinhan's best friend. A placid soul, he was certainly not to be underestimated by his looks - he almost exactly resembled a porcelain doll; Gohan loved to rag him about it - and by his size. Even though he was only as tall as Gohan was, he was one of the most powerful fighters on the planet. He was wearing his usual sky blue tank top and baggy green training pants. He and Gohan had spent much time together since the Namek epic, mostly because they were sharing memories of Gohan's father and found that both of them had a lot in common. Nowadays, there wasn't a moment that went by when the two weren't doing something together. Next to Krillin, Chaozu had become one of Gohan's best friends.   
  
"Oh, hey, Chaozu, what's up?" Gohan smiled.  
  
"Same old, same old, really, but I saw you standing here by yourself in the field and thought something was wrong. Are you thinking of your dad again?"  
  
Gohan sighed. He couldn't fool Chaozu's perceptive mind, no matter how hard he tried. "I know it's been a year, Chaozu, but I can't get my mind off of him. I'm not even sure if he's alive anymore, it's just been so long. Isn't he ever going to come back?"  
  
Chaozu chuckled a little bit. "Oh, come on, Gohan. You more than anybody should know that your dad is okay. I mean, look at all he's been through: more battles than any fighter we know, escaping enemies in the spirit realm, defeating the most horrible warriors in the Universe, and living through the destruction of a planet! If there's one person that can survive the depths of space, it's Goku."  
  
Gohan slowly began to laugh along with Chaozu. His friend's words had lifted some of the weight from his shoulders, and Gohan found that the small warrior was as good as ever at raising his spirits during his low points. But still, even if they were just comforting words, Chaozu was right. His dad had literally been through the pits of Hell and back again while living to tell about it. And still, he had managed to raise a happy family in between. He had also managed to keep his golden heart through it all, and that was incredibly difficult for a lifetime fighter like his dad to accomplish.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right, but it's just that I'm...worried about what he's become."  
  
Chaozu arched an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Before I left my dad on Namek, I sensed something...different...in him. It was just blind rage, like a savage animal. That Super Saiyan power...Vegeta talks about it like it's the greatest accomplishment ever to be reached by a Saiyan, but I'm afraid that attaining that level of power has distorted his soul, changing him into that bloodthirsty monster that Vegeta was when he came to Earth. I've never seen my dad that angry before...and nobody else has either. Chaozu, could Vegeta have been right? Could that Saiyan blood be overpowering his mind?"  
  
Chaozu placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder. "Gohan, I might not understand Saiyan philosophy completely, but I know that your father and the Goku we knew before all this still exists underneath that raging glare you saw in him. I've known Goku for a long time, and believe me, he's too good to change into another Vegeta."  
  
"You really think so?"  
  
"Of course! Besides, as I was watching the battle from King Kai's, Goku was even hesitant to kill Frieza, and he spared his life twice! Nobody could ever do that for someone as cold-hearted as Frieza. His reluctance at killing during that whole epic proves that his human side still exists, and it by far outclasses his Saiyan blood that Vegeta's bragged about so much."  
  
"...Thanks, Chaozu," Gohan patted his good friend on the shoulder with a smile. "You still know how to make me feel better. Now I know my dad's okay, and I have a feeling he'll be back really soon!"  
  
"Don't mention it, Gohan," Chaozu returned the grin. "Now let's get back to the others. I think the food is about ready."  
  
However, as Gohan began trotting across the field, he immediately felt a strong ki approaching from the west. It was a force that Gohan could never forget: Piccolo was coming, and at maximum speed from the look of it. Piccolo never flew at that speed unless something was wrong...really wrong.  
  
"You feel that?" Chaozu asked. He had apparently sensed Piccolo's approaching power as well, and he was quite familiar with Piccolo's calm and collected attitude. He knew something was amiss. "I wonder what he's doing here? He's never come to our gatherings before..."  
  
Before Gohan could answer his friend, he saw the glowing form of his mentor descend from the clear sky and land right in front of them. Chaozu was thrown to the ground as a result of Piccolo's high-speed landing while Gohan held strong. He stared up at the green face of Piccolo, realizing by his shortness of breath and worried gaze that something was definitely something ominous brewing on Earth  
  
"P-Piccolo! What's wrong??" Gohan asked.  
  
"Gohan, something from space has crash-landed in the valley!" Piccolo huffed as he recovered from his long flight. Wherever he had come from, he had come in a great rush. "It's a pod...an alien space pod..."  
  
Gohan gasped, visions of the space pod belonging to Vegeta emerging in his mind. "A space pod?! Was there anyone inside of it??"  
  
Piccolo shook his head, bringing a good bit of relief to Gohan's mind. "No, it wasn't a passenger ship, but it was covered with mechanical devices. I'm not sure who or what it was meant for, so I came here to see if I could get some answers from Bulma. She's seems to be the master of technology out of all of us."  
  
Gohan nodded, his gut slightly twisting with the news. From Piccolo's description, the strange space object sounded like some kind of probe. And with all the hostile aliens they had encountered over the past few years, any kind of device that could've given some demonic tyrant the location of their unsuspecting planet was worth investigating...and destroying if necessary. Fortunately, Bulma was their technological ace even with unknown devices.   
  
"Yes, I'm sure she'll be able to tell us something about what you found," he replied. "Let's head back and tell them right away!"  
  
"I don't think that will be necessary, look!" Chaozu motioned to the far side of the field, where Gohan spotted the rest of the gathered friends - including his mother and Bulma - approaching at a quick pace, evidently curious about the Namek warrior's sudden intrusion of their reunion. Tenshinhan, Yamcha, and Krillin were there as well, and fortunately, Vegeta was nowhere to be seen. Gohan sighed gratefully for one bit of good news in this dangerous situation: if Vegeta remained unaware of Piccolo's discovery, then he couldn't take advantage of the device should it have contained destructive secrets.  
  
As Gohan waited for the others to reach them, he looked up at the iron face of Piccolo, who was staring slit-eyed at the grassy field, deep in thought at the current turn of events. Gohan couldn't blame him - this occurrence was even more unexpected than Garlic Junior's sudden takeover of Kami's shrine, and it was nearly as critical that decisive action be taken quickly, lest the object turn out to be the trigger to Earth's doom.  
  
***  
  
She supposed that it could've been a probe, and it certainly one of the more colorful designs that Bulma had ever seen - the bright white outer plating of the spherical device was covered from top to bottom by rainbow-colored lights and some kind of sensor pads. The most intriguing feature about the alien orb was the bright blue crystal that glimmered silently from atop of its mechanical bearer. She couldn't help but stare at it, not believing that she slightly thought of this machine as exquisite in its dormant state.  
  
The awestruck but wary stares of the others seemed to echo her opinion.   
  
"Like a work of art in its own way," Tenshinhan broke the silence first, even his smooth demeanor slightly disturbed by such an abrupt discovery.  
  
"There's actually someone who's more smitten with machinery than Bulma," Yamcha teased. Fortunately for him, she was too busy examining the artifact to spare a few seconds for a slap across his face. "Enough to give it this regal appearance..."   
  
"I don't even think the technology we saw aboard Frieza's ship came close to this stuff," Gohan added with amazement.  
  
"I hear you, little buddy," Krillin agreed. "Frieza and his goons were still using buttons and normal material in their devices. Whatever this thing is, it's far beyond even Frieza's most advanced technology. And assuming that Frieza did possess the most sophisticated technology in the universe..."  
  
The implications were tremendous, even scary to Bulma's mechanical mind. From what Gohan had told them of their battle against Frieza, she had learned that the evil tyrant far outclassed Earth's industrial technology by a long shot. In her own opinion, this type of design probably wasn't too far from Frieza's reach. The conclusion made Bulma's blood chill slightly, horrible visions of Frieza's remaining soldiers tracking them to Earth with the probe...striking down vengefully at the ones who had killed their master...  
  
"Bulma?" Gohan's gentle voice thawed the ice, bringing Bulma out of her nightmarish delusions. "Can you tell us anything about it?"  
  
Bulma gazed up at the inactive probe on the hillside. "I...suppose I could if I fiddled around with it..." she answered with trepidation. "But there's no way I'm going up to that thing alone, somebody's got to protect me in case it's booby-trapped!"  
  
"I'll go up there with--" Gohan suddenly cut off as Chichi's hand clamped onto his shoulder like a vice. From the disappointed and helpless look on the Saiyan hybrid's face and the steel, unbreakable glare on Chichi's, she gathered that Gohan wasn't going anywhere near that object.  
  
"Aw, mom..." he pouted.  
  
"I'll head up with her," Yamcha quickly volunteered. "I'm one of the fastest here. If something goes off, I'll be able to get her out of there in an instant."  
  
Bulma flashed a rare smile toward her boyfriend before Yamcha began escorting her up the grassy hill toward the humming probe. Yamcha sidled up a few feet ahead, slowly reaching a hand out and touching the metal hull while Bulma remained a short distance back, watching Yamcha with extreme anxiety. She didn't want some kind of security trap to send him back to the Netherworld just after she'd gotten him back. His face and some of his exposed arm muscles tensed, and Bulma recognized from his training sessions with Tenshinhan that he was scanning for any ki energy lying inside the pod that she was incapable of detecting. His hand moved slowly across the casing until it came upon the sensor pads. Bulma felt herself draw in a sharp breath as Yamcha's hand gradually came to rest on the pads. Fortunately, as the seconds ticked by, there was no further activity from the probe except for the humming circuitry.  
  
Yamcha let out a breath of relief as he waved Bulma up the hill with his free hand. Gulping nervously, Bulma began a slow climb up the small hill, and after what seemed like an eternity, she found herself in front of the probe.  
  
"I don't detect any dormant ki within this thing," Yamcha whispered to her, slowly taking his hand away from the sensor pads. "But I'll be able to shield you should something go wrong. Good luck, Bulma."  
  
Bulma brushed some of her thick sky-blue hair out of her face before kneeling down to inspect the pad-covered control panel.  
  
"Let's see..." she mumbled to herself, weighing out her options. After several moments of studying the array of brightly colored pads, she had to honestly tell herself that she had to make some guesses. Bulma hesitantly tapped a few of the pads, and as she was racking her brain on what to do next, a bright glow from above startled her, throwing her onto her back with a yelp.  
  
"What the...?!" She heard Yamcha gasp. Looking up, Bulma saw that the once sea blue crystal sticking out of the probe's top had started to flash through a different series of colors, turning from blue to red to green to orange and back to blue in a matter of seconds.  
  
As Bulma pushed herself off of the grass, she heard the others come charging up the hill to protect them from what could've been a booby trap.  
  
"Strange..." Tenshinhan muttered softly. "It's not ki energy at all...it appears to be just some kind of reaction caused by the machine's circuitry. Maybe those pads you activated set it off and triggered the crystal?"  
  
"Well, they're definitely connected somehow," Bulma declared. "Give me a few more minutes with this baby. If we can get enough power flowing to this crystal, we might find out what this thing's for."  
  
More relaxed with the protection of the others, Bulma resumed her experimentation with the control panel, randomly pressing the pads and making note of which ones affected the color change of the crystal the most. Suddenly, after completing another series of commands through the sensors, the crystal began to spark, releasing a few small bolts of electricity into the air.  
  
"Watch out!" Chaozu shouted. "What in the world is...?"   
  
Everyone - Bulma included - began to step back as the color changing patterns came to a head, and the crystal finally settled on a gold aura that was so bright that Bulma had to shield her eyes to keep from being blinded.  
  
When the blinding light dissipated and Bulma opened her eyes, she gasped at the sight before her.  
  
The crystal's individual sides had separated, blossoming opening like a small flower. From the center of the crystal, a bright orb of golden light shot into the air, hovering just a few feet above the probe. After several more tense moments of waiting, the glowing ball flattened out and grew in size into the shape of a large screen of gold haze that started crackling out some faint sounds of static.  
  
"What do you make of it, Bulma?" Krillin eyed the screen with suspicion, ready to power up at a moment's notice to protect the others.  
  
"I don't think it's hostile..." she hypothesized as she studied the haze. "Judging from the screen's appearance and the audio program, I'd venture that this is some kind of recording and playback device."  
  
"Looks like it's broken though," Yamcha observed. "I don't think that somebody sent a probe fifty billion light years for us to listen to this garble."  
  
Suddenly, as if on cue, the gold haze began to clear, and the audio systems of the probe tuned out the static. Everybody watched with cautious earnest as a picture revealed itself, and Bulma was at a loss for words at what she saw.  
  
They were looking at the elegantly crafted marble balcony of some kind of palace or castle that was overlooking a clear, starry night. The moon was full in its entire splendor, casting a dim glow onto the surroundings. The balcony was overlooking some kind of city, and though much of it was shaded by the darkness of night, Bulma could tell that a few of the buildings bore similar technology - sensor pads, brightly colored metal - to the probe sitting in front of them. The scarier and more horrific side to the otherwise picturesque scene was the fact that many of the buildings that they saw were in ruins, either reduced to rubble or burning away in a raging fire. The sounds sent chills down Bulma's spine as well - men yelling out orders, war cries being shouted, bloody screams of dying people, and other strange noises that sounded like energy discharges similar to their own techniques.  
  
"What in the world happened here...?" A mortified Krillin gasped at the destruction.  
  
Suddenly, the camera turned slightly to focus on a beautiful woman looking out over the balcony. She was dressed regally in a long flowing silver gown with makeup and her hair done up in two buns. Despite the graceful appearance however, the woman seemed deeply saddened as she gazed in despair at the destruction below in the city.  
  
"I have a feeling that we're about to find out, Krillin," Bulma replied as the woman turned her deep blue eyes toward the camera.  
  
"Greetings, warriors of Earth's past," she politely bowed her head. "Forgive the suspicious and alarming means by which I have sent this message to you, but it was imperative that I deliver this as soon as possible. Allow me to introduce myself. I am NeoQueen Serenity, ruler of the newly formed kingdom of Crystal Tokyo in the thirtieth century of Earth's history."  
  
Bulma was stunned. This message was from the future, Earth's future no less!  
  
"You may realize that this world may seem totally different from the Earth you currently know, and I'm sure you have many questions as to the reason for this message. But first, allow me to explain what has happened to my kingdom. You see, long ago, a cataclysmic event occurred that nearly wiped out this entire planet and its inhabitants. Using our power, my friends and I, the princesses of the planets, were able to save Earth from total destruction, creating Crystal Tokyo out of the ruins, a city where we would begin a new existence on Earth, rebuilding the planet into a peaceful realm."  
  
"A cataclysm...?" Gohan arched an eyebrow. "What could it have been? Why couldn't we protect the planet when it came?"  
  
"I doubt we would've had much effect on such a matter, Gohan," Tenshinhan answered him. "Besides, it could have taken place far into the future, long after all of us have died."  
  
"Ever since the completion of this city, we have had to deal with enemy threats. If it weren't for the efforts of my friends, and myself this world would be consumed by evil. However, now a new enemy has settled over this world like a plague, killing my people and ravaging our land for seemingly no reason at all as you can see from these ruins. All of our efforts to repel or reason with this new threat have failed miserably. Even my sacred power is futile to stop such a massive invasion..."  
  
"An enemy more powerful than a savior of Earth...?" Gohan said in disbelief. "I thought only Frieza possessed that type of power..."  
  
Bulma nodded in agreement, noticing that Serenity was becoming a bit overwhelmed with emotion and despair, and Bulma could easily tell that she fighting back a flood of heartbroken tears.  
  
"...Our losses are becoming worse by the day, with our fighting forces down to a minimal, many innocent people being slaughtered, and most of our cities either decimated or occupied. With the grim state of our world, I have sent this probe back to all of you, ones that - as I have learned - possess the same type of energy and martial arts techniques as our rivals, and the ones with enough power to help us win back our planet. I am asking you, no, I am begging you to please assist us in defeating these dark warriors before my entire world, our entire world is reduced to nothing but a corpse-infested wasteland."   
  
The message seemed to hit home for the warriors all at once; most of them had bewildered looks of surprise on their faces.   
  
"I would not be making this request unless the straits were this dire, and I know that what I am asking is selfish and nearly impossible, especially after all of the battles you've been through in the past. If you choose not to aid in our fight to survive, I will understand. But if you do, go and meet with the guardian of your planet and he will inform you about how to come forward in time to this era, where you will join up with our forces to battle back against the demonic invaders..."  
  
Bulma watched on as a single crystal tear slid down the queen's porcelain cheek. "...I will wait for your response to this message...for now...farewell..."  
  
Serenity slowly turned her head away as the message faded out into static once again, leaving the crowd aghast and silent. Nobody took his or her eyes off of the screen's gold ocean picture for several minutes, all of them absorbing the disturbing turn of events for their planet's future.  
  
Finally, after moments of tense stillness, Gohan stepped forward, his gaze hardening into one of bold determination. As the group anxiously awaited the young Saiyan hybrid's reaction, Gohan uttered one statement that brought out all of his emotion toward the crisis. Bulma knew that it was coming the whole time, and at the moment he said it, she knew that the other fighters had come to the same conclusion regarding the situation.  
  
"The destruction of an innocent kingdom...a loving queen...our world...never! I'll never allow it to happen! Never!!"   
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Time is a Terrible Thing to Waste

Chapter 2: Time is a Terrible Thing to Waste  
  
  
Gohan's fiery statement seemed to jar the group, perhaps a few of them not expecting the young Saiyan hybrid to take such a fierce stance on the crisis, but he didn't care, not in the least bit. As much as he wanted to stay, basking in the peace, Gohan just couldn't turn down Serenity's offer - he wouldn't have been able to live with himself if he did, especially after saving Earth from evil on more than one occasion. After a few moments of silence, the one to step forward first was Tenshinhan, who had a proud, approving smirk.  
  
"Brave words," he nodded. "I've heard some like them before...from the mouth of your father."  
  
Everyone proudly beamed at that remark, especially Gohan, who didn't even realize until now of how much like his father he had become over the past battles.  
  
"But the kid's right," Tenshinhan continued, turning his attention toward the rest of the crowd. "No matter what era or what form the Earth may be in, evil can't be allowed to consume it and its people. And if it means my life, I'm going to protect that kingdom!"  
  
A large grin spread over Chaozu's face as he leapt up onto his best friend's shoulder. "Well, if you're going, Ten, than I'm going, too!"  
  
Krillin and Yamcha stepped forward as well, each looking eager and enthusiastic about Serenity's request as well.   
  
"Count us in, too!" Krillin announced. "We didn't just save this planet from the Saiyans and Garlic Junior just to let it be destroyed by these freaks!"  
  
"Exactly!" Yamcha agreed. "Besides, we can't leave those lovely princesses--"  
  
An icy glare from Bulma stopped the cocky fighter dead in his tracks. In fact, if looks could've killed, Yamcha would've been six feet under the ground, bits and pieces of his body parts packed in very small boxes. Seeing that he'd stuck his foot in his mouth yet again, Yamcha backed down, his face turning bright red and random babble spluttering out of his mouth as he struggled to correct himself.  
  
"Er, I uh, mean uh, I mean the kingdom!!" He stammered. Finally, as Bulma's soul-piercing glower died off, he managed to compose himself and speak seriously. "Yeah, how could we live with ourselves if we let that kingdom be destroyed? And after a distress call like that..."  
  
"Indeed," Piccolo's steel voice agreed. All enthusiasm vanished as everyone turned to face the Namek warrior, who still had his usual stone mask gaze infused on his face, seemingly not affected by the forlorn plea from Serenity.  
  
Gohan walked over to his mentor. Not even he could read past the rigid mask of Piccolo's emotions, but he knew what the others were thinking. They didn't know Piccolo like he did, and they were all disputing in their minds as to whether the Namek even cared about the future of their planet, let alone whether or not he would go forward in time with them to save the endangered kingdom. It would be up to him to clear the air.  
  
"Mister Piccolo...?" He looked at his old master with an inquiring but hopeful look.  
  
For a moment, he didn't do anything, but then Piccolo looked down at Gohan and gave him a response.  
  
"I know what you're thinking, kid," he began. "And granted, this kingdom and its inhabitants have nothing to do with us, and the fact that you're rushing off to help them is a bit rash."  
  
That didn't sound good. Gohan's eyes began widen, the thought of his respected teacher ignoring a request for help crushing even the young Saiyan's respect for Piccolo.  
  
"But on the other hand," he continued, stopping Gohan's assumptions and turning the child's wide-eyed look of shock into a pleasant smile as he knew what was coming. "I don't need any reason to kill anybody who is destroying my home planet. I've already witnessed one of my home worlds being obliterated and its entire people slaughtered. Anybody else who would dream of causing this world to suffer the same fate...I will send them to hell personally!"  
  
It wasn't quite the response Gohan was looking for, but it had to do if Piccolo was to join them in their rescue mission. Gohan knew that - despite his honor and love for battle - Piccolo certainly wasn't in the habit of helping the innocent - at least not strangers.   
  
Perhaps I can teach him something for once while we're fighting...Gohan made sure to keep that in mind.  
  
"Well, now that everybody's squared away on who's going to help Serenity," Krillin interrupted, trying to cut off the serious air cast over the crowd by Piccolo. "We'd better get to the Kami's sanctuary. Serenity told us that he knows some way about traveling through time."  
  
"Good call, Krillin," Yamcha nodded. "But should we bring the probe and replay the message for him? He'll want to know what's going on with this kingdom."  
  
"I don't think that will be necessary," Piccolo shook his head. "If anything, Kami will be the one telling us more about NeoQueen Serenity and her history."  
  
"How do you know that, Piccolo?" A puzzled Gohan asked.  
  
"I know the old one better than anybody," Piccolo answered. "As guardian of this planet, I'm sure that communication beyond our time era isn't out of his grasp. I'm sure he's already expecting us with questions about this distress call. I suggest we hurry before it's too late."  
  
"Agreed," Tenshinhan concurred. He looked over at his small confidant, who was looking equally as focused as he was. "Come on, Chaozu, let's go!"  
  
Chaozu nodded, and both he and Tenshinhan powered up and took to the sky, vanishing over the horizon in a trail of bright light.  
  
"The rest of you go ahead," Krillin said as he began flying off. "I'm going to Karin's tower and see if I can grab some senzu beans. If this trip's going to be this dangerous, we may need all that we can get."  
  
As Krillin took off into the sky on route to Karin's tower, Bulma took Yamcha aside, pulling him close with sad, worried eyes.  
  
"You just can't stay away from a fight for a minute, can you?"  
  
Yamcha smiled warmly, trying to sooth her doubts. "Don't worry, Bulma, I promise you that I'll come back alive in one piece to you, you have my word."  
  
The tactic seemed to work as Bulma returned the gesture. "You'd better," she said. Suddenly, her hand clutched Yamcha's throat, forcing him to gasp for air. "And you'd also better watch how you act around those princesses...or else!!"  
  
Yamcha gave her a large goofy grin of innocence as her tight grip loosened. "I will. And tell Puar where I've gone and tell her not to worry about me,"  
  
"Okay, even though I know she will. Good luck, Yamcha," she hugged him tightly for a minute before allowing him to take off to Kami's sanctuary.  
  
Seeing Bulma shed one tear of uneasiness and anxiety as she watched Yamcha streak off through the sky reminded Gohan of one more important matter to take care of. He looked over and saw his mother standing near the probe, oddly silent and distant during the whole message and everyone's planning.  
  
"Mom..." he quietly murmured, trying to be as gentle as possible. Chichi turned her eyes toward him as he spoke. "This journey is--"  
  
"Go, Gohan," she suddenly interrupted.  
  
Gohan knew his face had a bewildered look because his mother continued. "My little Gohan, after everything you've been through, I know that even if I try to stop you, you'll just run off anyway. Tenshinhan is right, you're becoming more like that father of yours everyday, helping an entire race that you don't even know against overwhelming odds..." She trailed off, tears beginning to leak out of her eyes.  
  
"Mom..."  
  
"Gohan, my child, I understand that it may be too late for to change from what your father has taught you. I know that I can't keep you held back forever while the others fight...but promise me...that once this is all over, you'll get right back on top of your schoolwork! Do you promise me, Gohan??"  
  
Gohan nodded brightly, hugging his mother. "I promise!"  
  
"How touching," A cold sarcastic voice from nearby shattered the moment, and Gohan froze as he recognized it. "I'm disappointed in you, brat. You, a child with Saiyan blood, submitting to a frail emotion like love! You sicken me."  
  
Gohan's teeth and fists clenched and he turned to see an all-too-familiar face leaning casually against the oak tree, an icy glare from his heartless eyes nearly piercing Gohan's heart.  
  
"What do you want, Vegeta?!" Gohan growled, taking up a fighting stance.  
  
"Calm down, brat," the smug prince scoffed. "I have no interest in killing you at the moment. In fact, I'm more interested in that distress call that you and your friends just received!"  
  
Gohan gasped, suddenly fearing how an opportunistic killer like Vegeta would take advantage of Serenity and her people in their weakened state.  
  
"I-It's...none of your business...!" Gohan stammered.  
  
"Ha, ha, I believe it is every bit of my business, brat," he laughed with his usual sinister tone. "You see, as I plan to become immortal and control this universe someday, I can't have any resistance to my power. These aliens can't be around to oppose me, and if I can raise my strength enough by killing them in the future, I can easily hunt them down and wipe them out in this time. And as much as you're repulsed by it, you'll be helping me accomplish this task!"  
  
"Why, you...!" Gohan stepped forward in the direction of the cocky Saiyan until Piccolo's large green-scaled hand touched his shoulder. Gohan stopped his advance and looked up to see that Piccolo's stone gaze was bearing into Vegeta, their energies beginning to clash like lightning during the stare down.  
  
"Mister Piccolo?" Gohan said.  
  
"Relax, Gohan," the Namek replied, not taking his eyes off of Vegeta for one second. "His enemies are our enemies. If he wants to be rid of these aliens, he has to fight with us. Besides, we don't know how powerful or how large the alien force is, but if it's strong enough to decimate Serenity's soldiers, then we may need all the help we can get."  
  
"But what about the queen?" Gohan reminded him. "If their army's weak, what's to stop him from killing her and conquering the kingdom for himself?!"  
  
"He won't, trust me," Piccolo smirked. "If he stays in that era for the rest of time, then he'll never get to settle the score with Goku."  
  
"Huh," Vegeta spat in disgust. "You Namek trash are more perceptive than you appear. Just stay out of my way when I begin blasting that alien scum to pieces, or I may 'accidentally' kill you, too. Things have changed quite a bit since Namek, in case you haven't realized it. Now where's the place that we should be meeting so we can figure out how to get to the future?"  
  
"Follow me," Piccolo said flatly. Turning around, he sprang up into the air and burst into flight with Vegeta taking off and following close behind.  
  
"Good-bye, mom! Take care, Bulma!" He gave each a tender smile as he launched himself into the air.  
  
He took one last look at his concerned mother before speeding off in pursuit of Piccolo and Vegeta.   
Don't worry, mom, I'll be back soon. And I'll make you proud of me, I swear!  
  
***  
  
"World...Shaking!!"  
  
The golden orb of light ripped through the rocky terrain like a hot knife through butter, slamming the final armored commando square in the chest. The powerful energy surge propelled the unfortunate grunt back into the thick mountain wall with an ear-ringing crash that sent mounds of dirt and rock hurtling into the air. When the dust settled, a heap of rubble and debris had buried the enemy soldier. Though he might've been barely alive underneath the rocks, he would no longer pose any threat.  
  
Sailor Uranus brushed some blood away from a small cut in her forehead, courtesy of one of the soldier's energy beams. As far as she could tell, all of the enemies were dead, a welcome victory in such bleak times. Ever since the abduction of the queen, Uranus had become more infuriated than she had ever been, and it had increased her fighting spirit over twenty fold. It was partially because of the sheer hopelessness of the current situation, but it was also due to the fact that she blamed herself for the queen's kidnapping, as had her comrades. Even her greatest efforts couldn't hold back the onslaught of attackers that had crashed through the palace defenses. It made Uranus's blood boil as she recalled parts of the battle. Her attacks barely affected the soldiers, who were laughing at their every effort to protect their queen.  
  
She'd been in the courtyards trying - without much success - to fend off several groups of enemies when she received word that the queen had been taken. The mere words had been enough to enrage Uranus to the point of explosion. The fact that the enemies had retreated shortly after the abduction didn't help matters either - she hadn't gotten the chance to make the attackers pay the price for their actions.  
  
But I'll make up for the loss...and pay them back one hundred times over!  
  
Fortunately, a little alien hunting in the Golgorand Highlands outside the city had let Uranus vent some of her frustration temporarily - that was the third squad of troopers that they had beaten in the last hour. The only painstaking note to it all was the rising fatigue that was beginning to overwhelm even her body. The various cuts and bruises on her body were starting to ache as the adrenaline of battle wore off. There had been ten commandos in the last patrol, bringing the total body count for the day up to thirty-four. However, even with the element of surprise seemingly in their favor during all three encounters, the armored assassins had seemed to know exactly where they were and when they were going to attack, something that Uranus couldn't even fathom.   
  
Thanks to that, the soldiers in every contingent had put up a good fight, each group stronger than the last. Their skill in basic martial arts as well as their energy attacks had left more than one mark on Uranus's body during the fighting. Some of her skin that had been burnt by the beams were still spewing small wisps of smoke.  
  
Which reminds me...  
  
She dropped down from the plateau onto a lower level of the mountain, where she saw that her two companions had felled their own share of soldiers. She staggered over to the one with sea-green hair, who was looking a tad on the exhausted side.  
  
"Are you okay?" Uranus asked with obvious worry.  
  
"Yeah, just a bit worn out," Sailor Neptune lifted her head to face Uranus. The water soldier's normally gorgeous face was caked in dirt and some trails of blood. Of course it didn't matter to Uranus how bad of shape Neptune was in - she always seemed beautiful to her. As long as Neptune was alive, Uranus could fight without too much worry. Before she could clean some of the blood off of Neptune's face, she found her beloved comrade doing the same to her. Uranus smiled warmly in appreciation. Michiru was always good at lifting her spirits, even during the darkest times.  
  
"They were tougher than I anticipated," Neptune commented, looking over at two corpses of the patrol members. "I've had to use some of my strongest attacks so many times against these guys. It's no wonder that our forces couldn't hold them back at the palace..."  
  
"Please, don't remind me about that," the tan-haired Sailor Soldier grimaced, not even wanting to think about how powerless she was against such a force. Suddenly, a pain in her ribs began acting up again. "But one thing's for sure, we can't keep this up forever..."  
  
"Indeed," she agreed. "I'm starting to wonder if I should've considered the medic's advice about resting up for a few days after the ambush on the palace."  
  
"Why, Michiru-mama, I feel a bit insulted," the smaller Sailor Soldier with short black hair giggled as she stood up from resting on a rock. "Do you doubt what advantage my power has over even the best medical technology?"  
  
Uranus saw Neptune smile back at Sailor Saturn. "No, of course not, Hotaru. But you can't expend too much of your energy with those healing powers of yours. You've already used too much of it as it is and it has cost you in the fighting."  
  
Looking over at the child, Uranus saw that Neptune was right, if not understating it. The small soldier's body was covered in an even more cuts and injuries then her own body, and Uranus could tell that she was painfully resisting the urge to lean on her glaive for support. The taller soldier was afraid that such circumstances would occur - though Saturn had some decent battle experience behind her, these enemies were beyond the levels of herself and Neptune, the experienced warriors of the group. And with her wavering physical condition...  
  
"It will be necessary should an emergency arise," Saturn argued her point. "And after this recent string of battles, it would seem that such emergencies could arise at any moment."  
  
"Very well," Uranus conceded, knowing it would be pointless to argue. "But only in an emergency. For now, we'll press onward with what remaining energy we have left. We still may be able to find the location of the queen if we keep searching around here a little more."  
  
"Speaking of that..." Neptune smirked teasingly at her. "Didn't we all agree that we would 'convince' one of those soldiers to tell us what we needed to know?"  
  
Uranus gasped in embarrassment, not believing that she had forgotten their plan. "Ah...well..." she stammered, a rare occurrence for her. This was the first time in a long time that she had botched up a battle plan, and she could already feel her face turning red because of it.  
  
Fortunately, Sailor Saturn was more forgiving and generous enough to save her comrade from further humiliation. "Relax, Haruka-papa, we can't be perfect all the time. Besides, I don't think there's any shortage of enemies around here as far as I can see. We'll just have to find some more."  
  
Sailor Saturn - still full of cheerful energy despite her injuries - dropped down onto the crooked path of the mountain and went ahead as Uranus and Neptune had to hurry to catch up with the child.  
  
"...It got to you too, I see," Michiru suddenly said to Haruka as both of them descended down onto the worn dirt path.  
  
"What do you mean?" Sailor Uranus asked in a bit of surprise.  
  
"I think you know what I mean," Neptune continued. "Forgetting something as important as that interrogation plan isn't like you. You usually don't choose to obliterate every enemy if there's a chance that one might prove useful, especially if it involves the queen's life."  
  
Uranus remained silent for a moment and lowered her head. "...I guess you're right about that. I don't know what happened in the fights today. Something just got to me, like the deepest rage that I've ever felt in my life was driving me to kill every one of those armored freaks without a care for future plans...It must be what happened with the queen..."  
  
Neptune gently put her hand on her beloved companion's shoulder. "I understand, I felt compelled to annihilate these monsters in the same way as you did. But we can't always have the edge in a war, and if the queen is still alive somewhere, we'll redeem the loss at the palace by bringing her home. It's just going to take a lot more than brute strength to do it."  
  
Uranus smiled, trying to use Neptune's words to calm her frustrations. "The only questions left are what these aliens want with her and where they are holding her."  
  
Neptune returned the gesture, relieved that Uranus's aggravations had been temporarily extinguished. "Well, that's what we're going to try and find out, aren't we?"  
  
Uranus nodded, and both of them began running along the path, trying to catch up to Sailor Saturn.  
  
The Golgorand Highlands weren't much to look at, and they were even less to explore. There wasn't anything of value buried beneath the craggy surface, and the dangerous cavernous terrain prohibited the construction of any buildings. They'd been lucky enough to find a path worn into the mountain by the enemies who were hiding there - the natural route was anything from thin ledges stretching across the steep slopes to no walkways at all. The strong cold mountain breezes didn't help much either - Uranus could barely resist the urge to shiver and cover her exposed limbs. It was times like this that she wished that practicality had gone into the Sailor Soldier fuku designs.  
  
But, as her good instincts had been correct upon, the mountains had been serving one purpose - harboring several groups of enemy soldiers, who had apparently been using the caves and alcoves for supply storage and for rest areas. Though Uranus had taken great pleasure in obliterating some of their supple caches, her second hunch about the highland area hadn't come to fruition yet - the queen was not here, despite the large amount of sentries and the obvious likeliness of a hiding place.  
  
Still plenty of mountain to cover. I just hope the others can make it...  
  
Even though both of them had denied it, Uranus could tell that Neptune and Saturn were in pretty bad shape. The last encounter - the largest assault of the day - had left their faces looking weary and their bodies beaten and battered. And with neither of them fully recovered from the ambush on the palace, they were more prone to death if one of those powerful energy blasts struck them. And if anything were to happen to Michiru and Hotaru...the closest ones that she could call family......  
  
Uranus derailed the thought as quickly as possible, not wanting her imagination running amuck in a combat zone with such powerful opponents possibly lurking everywhere. But just the thought of protecting Michiru and Hotaru along with the queen increased her fighting spirit even more, fueling her drained body with even more power.  
  
Suddenly, as the trio began crossing over another rocky hill, a sudden surge of energy coming from the direction of the city jarred her acute senses. Uranus turned back in the direction of the capital, eyeing the night sky with suspicion. Something was out there; though it was pretty far off, Uranus could sense that it was an incredible amount of power.   
  
"Do you feel that...?" Neptune said, evidently noticing the massive energy as well. Her voice sounded like it contained a certain degree of shock, and Uranus couldn't blame her - the power that was inside the capital was enormous, greater than she had ever felt before. Trying hard to fight through the huge waves of energy being emitted from the source, she managed to surmise where the titanic entities were headed - full speed right toward the palace.  
  
"Looks like they're going to try and finish us once and for all," Uranus concluded, trying to fight off a shiver that she hoped was coming from the brisk mountain winds and not from the energy waves. "If the palace falls..."  
  
"...Then we will fall as well," Saturn woefully finished. "Do you think we can defeat such powerful adversaries, Haruka-papa?"  
  
Uranus lowered her head, but suddenly, as a feeling of hopelessness began to creep up on her, she quickly shut it out, adrenaline beginning to pump through her body. She was tired of losing battles and being forced back by these demons. This time, with all of their strength put together, they would overcome their enemy, no matter how great the odds.  
  
"Well, Hotaru..." She looked at the child with a smile. "We're going to have to try! We can't just give up our home without a fight! They might be stronger they we are, but with the courage of the queen still inside of our bodies, I know we can defeat them! Let's go!"  
  
Neptune and Saturn both nodded with determination and all three Sailor Soldiers turned to begin a long sprint back to the city. Depending on the enemy encounters on the way back, it could've taken anywhere from a few to several hours to make it back to the palace. And with the tremendous speed at which the powers were moving, they would surely reach the palace and begin a battle long before they even got close. The inner soldiers would have to hold the grounds until they arrived to reinforce them.  
  
If they've healed better than we did, then they should be able to hold them off for a little while at least...but the princess...  
  
If Uranus knew anything about the kingdom's cheerful heiress, it was that she was going to be right alongside Sailor Mercury, Mars, and all the others to destroy the invading force, even if her power wasn't as great as that of her comrades. And with her mother in enemy clutches, she'd be more determined than ever to fight back. And if she took after the queen's recklessness...  
  
Then she's putting herself at even more risk than the others...we must hurry...  
  
***  
  
Chaos...wave after glorious wave of it. It's so beautiful...  
  
Infernia smiled approvingly at the burning graveyard of buildings as she and her comrades flew overhead. The handy work of the soldiers under her command deserved a lot of commendation - they had turned what used to be a thriving city of prosperity into a crumbling, deserted wasteland. The smoldering corpses of those pathetic Crystal Tokyo soldiers were just icing on the cake.  
  
"Stop here for a moment," she ordered to her soldier escorts and the other two commanders with her. All of them acknowledged her command and descended with her toward the ruined street, touching down in front a particularly violent blaze that was engulfing one of the taller buildings. As fire shot out of the building windows relentlessly, Infernia took a moment to indulge her gold and red eyes on the scene, basking in the radiant warmth of fire, her life force. She licked her fangs as she heard a few dying screams escape through the cracks of the collapsing wreckage.  
  
"Opinion, Zebus?" She nonchalantly asked as a torched body fell from one of the upper floor with a horrified shriek.   
  
One of the other burly commanders with her - a tall, lanky insect humanoid with green flesh and two large, purple, orb-shaped eyes underneath his sky blue body armor - stepped forward. Because of the antenna-like projectiles lining his seemingly vertical mouth, the voice came out as wavy and high-pitched.   
  
"From the civilian clothes on the corpses near the building," he answered with a hint of delight. "I would gather that it used to hide surviving innocents from our soldiers."  
  
"Heh, how pathetic," the bald, muscular, black-armored titan next to Zebus scoffed in his gruff   
voice. "Running and hiding like the scared little rats they are. As if they could hide from our scouters."  
  
Zebus laughed a bit, the sounds coming out in an irritating whine. "I only wish I could've been here to kill at least one of those weaklings myself. It would've been an amusing show, eh Tridyx?"  
  
"I don't think you'll have to worry about that, Zebus," Tridyx grinned with malice as his scouter blipped. He motioned toward a collection of bodies that were scattered in front of the structure's ruined gates. "That one in the black combat suit is still alive. Shall we go have some fun with him?"  
  
"That won't be necessary," Infernia stepped past her bloodthirsty companions. "I think I'll give him as a gift to that fire. Such decimation of human trash should be total."  
  
"As you wish, captain," Tridyx nodded with a smirk.   
  
She sauntered ahead onto the grounds of the building toward the dazed human, the fire from the structure making her blood-red skin dance with a palette of magma colors. It felt so soothing to her, bathing herself in the blazing inferno. Were it not for her scouter and ruby-colored armor, she would have instantly gone into the blaze, soaking her pores in the firestorm. It would've been so relaxing for her, a being molded out of the searing heat of a planet core, lava flowing through her veins.  
  
But business before pleasure. I might just let this worthless human taste what it feels like.  
  
The wounded Crystal Tokyo soldier was facedown on the ground. She casually pulled off one of her white gloves and used her other gloved hand to pull the soldier's face up by his thick brown hair. From his young face, Infernia had to guess that he was no more than eighteen or nineteen years old.  
  
"You're tough for young trash," Infernia snickered as the young trooper groaned in agony. "But your survival was all for nothing. You lived only to die by my hand."  
  
The youth's eyes were glazed over, but he managed to focus on her for a few seconds and croak out a response. "You..." he mumbled as he coughed up a gob of blood. "...The palace...you attacked it...why...who are you...?"  
  
Not a bad memory for pond scum. She mused as the teenage soldier began coughing up more blood. Indeed, she had been one of the commanders during the palace ambush operation; it had been so nice to see such a masterpiece of military force and such total victory against such a helpless opponent.  
  
In all actuality, the Crystal Tokyo defenses were next to pathetic in hand to hand combat. Their soldiers were complete weaklings, not even worth mentioning in the casualty reports, though it was quite amusing to watch them futilely struggle against their elite soldiers.   
  
The only warriors that had caught Infernia's attention were the ones called the Sailor Soldiers. Their powers were greater and much more tenacious than their Special Forces, and they seemed to thrive off of each other's encouragement and friendship, a unique style that even Infernia had never seen before, almost as if they reached a new level of determination when in a group. Of course such emotion was no match for their superior strength, but it was a wise move for the general to send herself and a powerful squad of soldiers to eliminate them and capture the palace before they could become a potential threat. It would be interesting to see how they would fare without their queen to aid them.  
  
The capture of the queen - part of their orders while waging war on the planet - had gone off successfully, as well it should have with her battalion participating in the palace strike. Though she had been trying her best to assist the effort from deep inside her palace, the queen had surrendered without incident to save the lives of a few measly Tokyo soldiers that were about to be killed. The noble yet foolish act had spared the soldiers...at temporarily until the queen was secured. Afterwards, the commandos had killed the Tokyo soldiers anyway, leaving the queen pale and shocked at their cold relentlessness. Infernia wished that she could've been there to witness such a horrified look from a peaceful, benevolent ruler such as Serenity. She'd been disgusted when she'd heard of Serenity's pleas for peace during the early stages of the fighting, and sacrificing her freedom for the lives of a few pitiful humans only lowered her abysmal opinion of the queen.   
  
Her only ounce of admiration for Serenity had come when she had helped create a gigantic force field that had completely surrounded the city, locking their forces out for a short time. The energy - which seemed to be generated at different parts of the city border - that had powered the force field had been astounding, a power that even Infernia had never detected before, and it had nearly killed her after she and one of her combat units had gotten too close. Whatever it had been, it wasn't ki energy, and for a short while, Infernia didn't think that they could break through it. Fortunately, the general had proved them wrong; his massive strength along with the combined efforts of her entire battalion was finally able to shatter the dome shaped field like the glass of a snow globe. Since then, the force field had not been reactivated, but it was always something for newly arriving forces to watch out for.  
  
Infernia scoffed at the dying soldier as a gob of blood from his mouth splashed against her boot. Then, remembering his inquiry, she gave him an evil grin, exposing her sharp fangs.   
  
"Who are we, and why did we attack your queen and her palace? The answer is quite simple, my young friend. You see, I am a mercenary of noble descent among my sparse race, far superior to human trash such as yourself. As for your other inquiry, we are merely purging this planet of you humans for the money. Our employer will decide what the fate of this miserable rock of a planet and your precious queen will be."  
  
As Infernia laughed at the soldier's helplessness, his teeth and fists suddenly clenched and he took a hasty, futile swing at her face. Easily seeing the attack coming, Infernia nonchalantly reached out and snagged the youth's black-gloved fist just inches from her jaw.  
  
"You dare to lash out at me?" She spat with disgust as she tightened her grip on the soldier's fist, cracking a few of the bones in his hand. As he began to cry out in pain, Infernia began to power up. "Stupid boy, burn for your sin!"  
  
She threw his broken hand aside and clamped her bare hand onto the youth's face, concentrating the heat in her body into the young soldier. Infernia watched with delight at what followed. The boy's skin began to give off smoke, and then, fire began to crackle on his face and spread down his neck to his upper body. The flames burned right through the tattered black uniform, revealing charred black flesh oozing bubbling crimson blood. All the while the blaze was consuming his organs, the soldier was screaming at the top of his lungs, making music to her ears.  
  
As she looked down at her victim, she saw that the fire had spread to the youth's lower body, and the screaming began to die off, ceasing altogether seconds later. Either the soldier had already died, or his vocal chords had been totally incinerated.  
  
"Blast, I thought he had last for a few more minutes than that," she grumbled disappointedly. "These humans are even frailer than I've been informed."  
  
Lifting the smoldering corpse off of the ground, she threw it into the burning building, giving the life-consuming flames something more to feast on. As the body began dissolving into charred bone in the searing heat, Infernia strode back to her group, a proud smirk on her face as she replaced the glove on her bare hand.  
  
"You certainly have a way with people," Zebus remarked. "I could almost taste fear emanating from him."  
  
"I was merely burning the day's trash," she grinned as she gazed off to the west. The palace - and total victory - was awaiting them there. "Come, we still have much work to do. The general ordered this palace to be captured, and I intend to give him the palace and then some."  
  
"You don't mean the Sailor Soldiers?" Tridyx ventured.  
  
"Exactly," she nodded. She clicked the gold-tinted scouter on his eye. The readout revealed several larger powers concentrated in the palace vicinity, much larger than the worthless Crystal Tokyo soldiers. "How convenient. I knew that they'd be protecting their last line of defense. Now we can eliminate our greatest threat and secure the palace all in one fell swoop. Two birds with one stone."  
  
"If you can call them a threat," Zebus chuckled. "Even though they had some bright spots in the beginning of this war, they seem to have lost their edge with the capture of their queen."  
  
"Even so, they are said to be the strongest on the planet next to the queen." Infernia said with a laugh. "So, let's go make fools out of them."  
  
Infernia brushed her gold hair out of her face and took to the air, flying at maximum speed toward the queen's palace Zebus, Tridyx, and her five soldiers following close behind. She allowed herself one more smirk as a devilish thought occurred to her. She was going to see the helpless look of horror on Serenity's face after all - her daughter, princess of the realm, was said to have been seen fighting at the last battle. And if Infernia knew of the tenacity and stubbornness of the Crystal Tokyo forces, she would be there fighting for all she was worth when they arrived. When Infernia got a hold of her, she would burn like the worthless young soldier did, and when she presented the charred remains to Serenity, it would truly be a sight to behold.  
  
One last pale look of pure terror, sadness, and helplessness...it'll be priceless, exquisite...I would only wish that I could keep it frozen forever in time...  
  
***  
  
Gohan landed softly in the garden area of Kami's sanctuary, tugging at his purple gi and white scarf to straighten out a few wrinkles. He'd made the quick stop at his house to grab the clothes, wanting to don comfortable battling clothes during what could've been long battle. Besides, dressing in attire like Piccolo's would only serve to make him feel even stronger than before. He'd considered suiting up in the battle armor that he'd gotten from Frieza's ship on Namek, but he didn't think he could've felt like an ally toward strangers while dressed up like Vegeta. He'd feel more like those planet pirates that the Saiyans were instead of a young savior of Earth.   
  
Smelling the fresh air surrounding the shrine, Gohan quickly took note of the newly planted flowers and trees dotting the lookout. Mister Popo had done a spectacular job of restoring the sanctuary to its former beauty since the battle with Garlic Junior, which had left it in shambles. The colorful flowers and fluttering butterflies reminded Gohan of their home on Mount Paozu.  
  
He walked to over to the shrine in the middle of the lookout, where Tenshinhan, Yamcha, Chaozu, Piccolo, and Vegeta were waiting patiently outside for the arrival of the guardian of the Earth. Most of the warriors were giving murderous glances in the direction of the Saiyan prince, obviously resenting the fact that Vegeta had invited himself along on a critical journey. However, conflict was averted thanks to Piccolo's watchful eyes, which were giving an 'I'll-explain-later' glance to the other three.  
  
"So, where is this guardian?" Vegeta snorted, his short fuse nearly running out as he drew more glares from the other warriors.  
  
"You'd do good to learn a little patience, Saiyan," Gohan heard a firm voice from the shadows of the shrine entrance, and sure enough, Kami emerged, dressed in his usual robes and bearing his T-shaped wooden staff. The entire group - except for Piccolo and Vegeta of course - greeted the guardian with a polite bow. "I don't know why you have chosen to accompany these fighters on their mission, but heaven help you if you betray us!"  
  
Vegeta scowled, not for one moment taking the Namek sage's words to mind, and crossed his arms, impatiently waiting for the next phase of the mission.  
  
"Kami, you knew we were coming all along?" Chaozu asked in surprise.  
  
"Yes, Chaozu, I have," Kami nodded. "I had no doubts in my mind that all of you would be rushing to assist NeoQueen Serenity and her people, some of you to protect the kingdom, the rest just to seek out a fight. I take that you are thoroughly surprised by the message you received?"  
  
"To say the least," Yamcha agreed. "But you seem to know more about the kingdom than we do. You couldn't possibly answers a few questions we might have, could you?"  
  
"Indeed I can I tell you much about the future kingdom thanks to a friend from that era. Come inside and I shall explain it all to you," Kami motioned for them to follow him into the shrine.   
  
"A friend in that era...?" Gohan mumbled to himself, making sure to add that one to his own personal question list. Shaking it off, he began to follow the others in Kami's shrine. Suddenly, somebody else came flying onto the shrine grounds. Gohan turned to see Krillin landing in front of him with a leather pouch in one hand and a folded orange gi in his other hand. Gohan was a bit surprised that Krillin was in his own orange karate gi again instead of the normal clothes that he'd been wearing earlier.  
  
"Hey, Krillin!" Gohan smiled. "How did you manage to get back to Master Roshi's so quickly to change?"  
  
"I didn't," Krillin replied. "It was a little gift from Karin for our journey ahead. It's more lightweight and durable than our normal fighting gis. He even gave me a set for Yamcha, too. I got a full bag of senzu beans to take with us on the trip!"  
  
"I have a feeling we'll need them for ourselves if things don't go right..." Gohan said with concern.  
  
"What do you mean, little buddy?"  
  
"Well, Vegeta's shown up, and he's going with us on our journey!"  
  
Krillin nearly fell over in shock, his fear of Vegeta evidently as great as ever. "Vegeta?!? No   
way...but why should he want to help us destroy these aliens??"  
  
"He must've heard us talking about the probe from a hiding place somewhere. He followed us to the location and heard the entire message. He said he wants to eliminate the aliens so they can't pose any threat when he controls the galaxy."  
  
"Typical cold-blooded Vegeta..." Krillin growled.   
  
"Come on inside," Gohan motioned Krillin to follow him into the shrine. "Kami's got all the answers we're looking for about this kingdom."  
  
"Good thing," Krillin chuckled. "Because I've got a million questions."  
  
***  
  
Over the course of the next half-hour, Kami told them much about the background of NeoQueen Serenity, mostly about the state of her kingdom and the future Earth, but he even delved into the backgrounds of her closest friends, female warriors called the Sailor Soldiers. Gohan listened closely as Kami explained that each warrior drew power from a respective planet of the solar system. The Saiyan hybrid was a bit more than surprised when Kami told them of his friendship with Sailor Pluto, the guardian of time and one of the originators of the plan to bring them forward in time to help the war. The guardian also told them of their contributions to protecting Earth from evil before the cataclysm.   
  
"These Sailor Soldiers," Tenshinhan began. "Are they the princesses of the planets that Serenity spoke of?"  
  
"Yes, they are," Kami answered. "While I have known that Setsuna Meioh, or Sailor Pluto, had abilities to manipulate time for generations, most of the other soldiers I have little knowledge of, except for Serenity of course."  
  
"Serenity was a Sailor Soldier once?" Chaozu asked with an arched eyebrow.  
  
"Yes, during the era before the cataclysm." Came the reply. "She drew her power from the moon, earning the name of Sailor Moon."  
  
"The moon...?" Vegeta said skeptically. "That thing was a worthless lump of rock. How could any power come from such a useless dirt heap?"  
  
"Let me explain," Kami said. "Long ago, before my reign as guardian, a small kingdom of prosperity existed on the moon, of which Serenity was the princess. Unfortunately, an evil force known as the Dark Kingdom arrived and obliterated the kingdom with frightening power, but not before Serenity's mother managed to send her daughter, the Sailor Soldiers, and several others to Earth to begin a new life. However, the Dark Kingdom reemerged to attempt a conquest of Earth, and the Soldiers were summoned out of peaceful life one by one to combat not only the evil kingdom, but several other invading demonic forces. In this way, Serenity and her friends were able to safeguard Earth long before the saving it from the cataclysm that lead to the near destruction the planet and the founding of Crystal Tokyo, the city from which she rules over the planet."  
  
"They must be pretty strong to beat a regime as powerful as the Dark Kingdom," Yamcha commented. "What kind of power do they draw from the planet?"  
  
"Different elemental powers, of which they have mastered over the course of time. However, this is only half of their true potential."  
  
"What's the other half, Kami?" Krillin inquired. "Can they raise their battle power like we can?"  
"To be honest, even I don't understand it," Kami explained. "You see, since the beginning, when these young girls were living on the kingdom of the moon, they developed close bonds with each other, almost like the most loving family. In a battle, their love and friendship for each other greatly increases their fighting spirit and energy, making their attacks more powerful, especially if one of them is injured."  
  
"Increasing their fighting power through love and spirit...?" Piccolo couldn't believe such a story, and Gohan wasn't surprised with a warrior like him, who had always relied on cunning and sheer focus to increase his strength during a battle. "...Unbelieveable..."  
  
"...But these Sailor Soldiers aren't poweful enough to defeat these aliens?" Gohan guessed out loud.   
  
Kami was hesitant before responding. "They are all very determined and willing to give their lives for those they love, a unique form of nobleness. But with such large numbers of aliens and their forces dwindling to an abyssmal number...then I fear that even such gracious warriors may not..."  
  
Everybody was silent as Kami trailed off momentarily. "...But it is best not to fear such consequences. I know from my personal experiences with Setsuna that these Sailor Soldiers are no ordinary group, and they are strong enough to hold out until you arrive to assist them."  
  
"Do you think they'll even trust us?" Krillin said, bringing a good point to mind. "If they possess similar techniques as we do, they might think that we're with the aliens."  
  
"I doubt that," Kami shook his head with confidence. "I have a feeling that your actions on the battlefield will speak louder than any words or suspicions that they might have. Besides, Setsuna will be there to explain all to them about the queen's desparation plan. Now come, we haven't much more time to waste."  
  
Reaching into his robes, Kami extracted a small ruby crystal that shimmered softly, giving off a pretty red shine. "Setsuna gave me this when she was here a short while ago. She regretted not being here to bring you forward into the future personally, but another enemy attack was about to take place back in her era, and she had to return there immediately. Instead, I will use my holy power to activate this crystal, which will form a time gate connecting this era to Serenity's. Once there, seek out the pure ki powers of the Sailor Soldiers, they will explain the rest to you."  
  
Closing his eyes and concentrating his power, a golden aura began to envelop Kami's body, brightening the entire chamber and causing the crystal to blossom, just like the crystal on the probe. As Gohan squinted through the bright glare, he saw that the sides of the crystal had completely separated and were forming a turbulent pool of crimson energy that began sparking bolts of similarly colored light.  
  
Kami soon powered down; the activation process was a success, and the gate to their planet's future loomed before them.  
  
"It is done," The guardian declared. "It is all up to you from here."  
  
"What are we waiting for?" Yamcha grinned boldly. "Let's go get those freaks!!"   
  
In all his jubilant fighting spirit, Yamcha leaped up from his chair and dashed into the portal.   
  
"I don't know about this..." Krillin said as he nervously inched toward the warp hole.  
  
"Get moving, you fool!" Vegeta harshly shoved Krillin into the haze and quietly muttered 'human   
trash coward' before dissolving into the misty gate himself.   
  
The other members of the group soon followed, vanishing into the crimson haze without a trace, until only Gohan and Piccolo remained.  
  
Gohan looked up and saw the guardian and his mentor sternly staring each other down. The young Saiyan didn't say a word, remembering how brashly Piccolo snapped at him the last time he inquired about his relationship with the planet's guardian,  
  
"Are you sure you're fighting for the right cause?" Kami broke the silence first.  
  
"...I don't need any cause or excuse to kill the murderers of my planet," Piccolo coldly replied as he turned away from Kami. "Just use those senses of yours when I'm crushing the bones of those aliens under my foot. Then you can decide for yourself whether I'm fighting for the right cause."  
  
Without any further word, Piccolo vanished into the portal. Before Gohan stepped through the gate, he waved one last farewell to Kami.  
  
"Good luck, Gohan, son of Son Goku," Kami acknowledged with a smile. "Remember the power that comes from your father and his race's fierce strength and pride. Use them along with what you know from Piccolo to save our planet!"  
  
"I'll do my best, Kami!" Gohan brightly nodded. Taking one gigantic leap of faith, he flew into the portal, feeling his vision blur out and turn completely crimson. His body felt like it was being torn from all sides, probably the result of the portal; he wasn't much of an experienced time traveler, now that he thought of it.  
  
It won't be long now. He mused as he began wondering how long the time travel - not to mention the sudden quasiness he was getting in his stomach - would last. He just hoped that the nausea wasn't coming from the bad feeling he was getting about the upcoming battle that had summoned Sailor Pluto away.  
  
Hold on, Serenity, we're on our way!!   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Confrontation: Life or Death For the Sai...

Author's Note: First off everybody, sorry for the long wait. With work and school coming up, finding time to put my best efforts into this has been a bit hard to come by. Also, this is really my first chapter that deals greatly with Sailor Moon's side, so try to be gentle if things aren't to your liking. Enjoy!  
  
  
  
Chapter 3: Confrontation: Life or Death for the Sailor Soldiers  
  
  
Rei Hino kneeled down on the wooden floor of her own sanctuary - a replica of her room in the old Cherry Hill Temple in the former world - and let out a deep breath to relax her tense nerves. She hadn't been alone and at any kind of peace since the palace ambush, where she had seen her fair share of brutal combat. Even though the quiet of the room and the crackling of the sacred fire in front of her should've done its usual good job of calming her down, she just couldn't shake the disparaging situation from her mind. Hearing of Serenity's capture during the fighting had done wonders for her adrenaline - just thinking of her good friend being held in enemy clutches had pushed her to new heights of rage and determination, just like the other Soldiers - but unfortunately, the end result was still the same as before. The enemy commandos had overrun her group and she ended up falling unconscious after a volley of their energy blasts struck her head on.  
  
The burning pain had been nearly unbearable; Rei's limbs and upper back scorched severely by the blasts according to the medics. Fortunately, the attentive and knowledgeable medical staff that was still in the palace had been able to nurse her back to health, managing to patch up the burns and her other injuries in only a few hour's time. However, many of the soldiers that had been a part of the palace defense team hadn't been so lucky, over three quarters dead after the body count. The only good news that she had received was that the other Sailor Soldiers had been able to escape the fight unscathed, albeit injuries similar to her own.  
  
Ami - obviously more learned in medical care than the others were - seemed to heal more quickly, and she had devoted her energy to assisting the surviving soldiers that had been gravely injured in the battle. That had put some of Rei's fears about her comrades to rest - Ami's skill in medicine would have them back to fighting shape in no time. On the other hand, Makoto and Minako, though still not fully recovered from their own wounds, had chosen to spend their own time in the training areas of the palace, trying as much as they could to improve and gain any kind of edge over the aliens that they could. It was a wise idea - with the queen in their possession, the alien fighters would be looking to finish the palace defenses off sometime soon, and they needed to be fully prepared for any further offensives. And even if they were going to go down, Rei knew that Makoto and Minako would want to take as many with them as possible.  
  
The Outer Soldiers had been the ones who had acted the most since recovering, taking off into the combat zone to look for the queen and her captors. For obvious reasons, Rei hadn't agreed with Haruka taking herself, Michiru, and Hotaru out into enemy-held territory - the treacherous Golgorand Highlands no less - without even completely healing yet, but she had known better then to question Haruka's instincts - her hunches were usually always correct. Besides, they had always firmly believed to be their mission to protect the queen, and with Haruka as enraged as she was at the queen's abduction, the fire soldier wasn't about to stand in her way.  
  
The only strange thing about the departure of the Outer Soldiers into the depths of the highlands was that only three had gone - Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn. Rei hadn't seen Sailor Pluto with them as they exited the main gates, nor had anybody seen the elusive Setsuna Meioh since the palace had been attacked. Though Rei never knew of the time soldier mysterious activities - and she had been involved in quite a few in her days in Crystal Tokyo - she did know that Pluto was perhaps more loyal to the queen then anybody else. And with her closer comrades heading back into the fire to search for Serenity, it was very unusual not to see Sailor Pluto going back alongside of them.  
  
I wonder what she is up to...ChibiUsa's been asking about her a lot...  
  
That was another despairing thought nagging Rei's mind: ChibiUsa had been eerily silent since the fighting had concluded, and Rei knew that it wasn't as a result of the injuries she had sustained during the fight. She had found the small princess shortly after convincing the medics to let her out of the treatment room. Though Rei had been relieved to see that her wounds weren't severe, her optimism had faded after watching ChibiUsa look in on her father, the king.  
  
Mamoru - or Endymion as he was known by since the cataclysm - had been on the front lines of the defense teams during the ambush, and he'd led a counterattack against the main enemy assault force. The king had fought bravely, as he always did; he used much of his energy to not only fell several enemy soldiers, but to protect the Crystal Tokyo defenders with him as well. However, such tactics came with a price, as Endymion had taken multiple hits from the enemies' beam and martial arts attacks as he struggled to protect his men and take much of the battle onto his own shoulders, his usual attitude with his position as king. Eventually, the enemy assaulters were temporarily pushed back, but the adrenaline of battle had begun to wear off for the king, and he soon succumbed to his bloody wounds, collapsing unconscious onto the marble floor. The surviving members of the combat unit had been lucky enough to return the king to the safety of the medical room before the enemy battalion had recovered enough to attack once again. Since then, Endymion had remained unconscious, on the verge of death since his collapse.  
  
Rei remembered coming across ChibiUsa looking in on her beloved father, her usually cheerful expression replaced with a pale ghostly look, her dark red eyes casting a blank stare on the crippled body of the king. No words had come from her mouth at all, the beeping of the life monitor and the murmuring of the medics not enough to make up for her grave silence. Rei, usually one of the first there to offer advice to ChibiUsa about a dire situation, had seemed totally helpless after seeing her zombie-like state. The only comfort she could've offered was a warm gentle hand on the shoulder of the princess, even if she didn't even notice that it was there. It was as if ChibiUsa had come to the terrible realization that her entire crystal world had been shattered into pieces by those monsters with the sufferings of her mother and father. Both were possibly closer to death than they had ever been, and their entire world was now on the verge of destruction despite their best efforts to protect it. And despite similar grave situations in the past, only this one had hit home for the young princess; Rei had never seen her this much in shock, even after all of the battles that she helped them win in the past.  
  
Hopefully I can cheer her up a bit after a look into the sacred fire. Rei mused with a bit of optimism. While the Outer Soldiers search the highland areas, the sacred fire will search the entire planet for the queen's pure white energy...  
  
Rei concentrated some of her power into the sparking flames before her, trying to push her senses into the air along with the fire. After a few moments, she began to feel something - her senses were carrying beyond the calm walls of the palace and into the ruined cities outside of it. Her head began to ache slightly as multiple energies - some of Crystal Tokyo soldiers and the others of enemy commandos - clashed with each other, conflicting at countless points around a small area and battering her senses like a series of tornados. But still, she had dealt with worse before, and Rei continued to extend the fire's power with her mind, pressing outward along the borders of the capital area and into the inner city. She could still fight off the conflicting energies symbolizing the continuing struggle between dwindling Crystal Tokyo forces and the vicious enemy soldiers, but the headaches were getting more strenuous, more difficult to contain within her trained mind.  
  
Suddenly, a peculiar tingling sensation pricked at her senses, something far off, yet very close at the same time. Rei concentrated even further, assuming that it could've been her imagination or fatigue, but she soon determined that her senses weren't playing tricks on her - several powers were approaching the area. But the strange thing was that they didn't seem to exist on their plane of existence; their total strength seemed to be masked by a distortion that was throwing off her scan.  
  
But what could they be...? Are my injuries starting to catch up to me...??  
  
Battle damage would've explained such odd sensations. She'd never felt such distortions before, but whatever they were, they were approaching the area at high speed. Suddenly, as she tried to get a fix on the mysterious energy sources, another titanic wave of power flooded into her mind, and Rei was immediately thrown out of her trance and onto the ground, clutching her skull in agony.   
  
What's going on...? Something...no, it...couldn't...  
  
She was unable to block out or suppress the surge of energy that was building in her mind. In between the swells of pain that were rapidly filling up her expanded senses, she managed to make out three enormous powers approaching the palace at blinding speed, each with malicious intent radiating from them like sunlight. They were flanked by five smaller energies, more than likely a squad of enemy commandos.  
  
"No...They're coming...no!!!" She cried, still unable to disconnect her senses from the overwhelming power.  
  
Suddenly, Rei heard her door fly open, and somebody rushed into the room and helped her sit up. Rei opened her eyes slowly, the pain beginning to die down as she completely released herself from the trance. Looking up, she saw the concerned face of Makoto Kino staring down at her.  
  
"I heard the screaming from across the hall," she explained as she helped Rei to her feet. "What were you doing?"  
  
"Trying to locate Serenity," Rei explained as she paused to catch her breath. "I was hoping that the sacred fire would reveal her location to us, but I found...something else, instead."  
  
"What do you mean?" Makoto asked in confusion. "Don't tell me it's another attack force!"  
  
Rei nodded. "I'm afraid so," she regretfully replied. "But there are more than just a few squads of commandos on their way. Three enormous energies are leading the group, larger than any power that I've ever detected. Had their energy waves bombarded my senses for a minute longer, I might not have been alive to tell this to you..."  
  
"They're that strong...?" Makoto gasped in disbelief. "Unreal...where are they heading??"  
  
Rei was hesitant to tell her, not wanting to believe that a follow-up attack would've came so soon. "...Straight for us as full speed. They must be coming to finish us off for good."  
  
Makoto lowered her head, her face looking tense and unbelieving. "I can't...How soon will they be here?"  
  
"They were passing through the inner city when I located them. At the speed they were going..." Rei answered her, finally able to regain full composure. "...Probably fifteen minutes, twenty at most."  
  
Makoto was silent for a moment, the news of the possible final slaughter of their remaining forces sinking in deep. Then, the thunder soldier raised her head, a firm iron glare of resolve in her eyes.   
  
"Well, I'm not about to roll over and die so easily! We have to fight them off, we don't have any other choice!"  
  
Rei nodded with her own sense of steadfastness. "You're right! We've come back from worse before, and if the four of us work together, we can stop those guys!"  
  
"Make that five," A small voice said from the doorway. Rei looked over and saw the small form of ChibiUsa standing in the hall, her face fixed in firm boldness.  
  
"ChibiUsa...?" Makoto seemed equally surprised at the princess's seriousness, something that Rei never saw until a battle actually started - she was never tense or solemn during a lull in a fight. "What are you---"  
  
"I know what you're going to say," She cut her off as she stepped into the room. "Please, Makoto, don't try to stop me from joining this fight. I've been shielded enough during this whole war because of who I am, and that's just gotten my mom kidnapped and my dad nearly killed. I owe these monsters something, no matter how strong they are. And no matter what you say, I'm going!"  
  
Rei couldn't answer for a minute, her tongue stifled. Finally, the fire soldier walked over to her young friend and princess. She bent down and looked into the face of ChibiUsa, the small girl's fiery eyes unwavering.  
  
"...ChibiUsa, I've known you for a long time, enough to know that you're as stubborn as your mother is - stubborn enough not to take any safety precautions when everything's on the line...okay, help us gather the others and we'll meet them head on!"  
  
ChibiUsa nodded, her smile restored. "All right! Let's go!"  
  
She quickly rushed out of the room, off to find Ami and Minako and warn them of the upcoming conflict no doubt. Rei was about to follow her when Makoto spoke.  
  
"I hope nothing's happening to her..."  
  
Rei turned to see Makoto with a worried look. "What do you mean?"  
  
Makoto lifted her head and walked toward the door. "You heard what ChibiUsa said, and you and I have never seen her so eager to fight before..."  
  
Rei arched an eyebrow. "Are you saying that this war is changing her...?"  
  
"Though she is a strong-willed soldier, we've got to remember that she's just a kid. I mean, all of the fighting and brutal deaths of our soldiers and friends were bad enough, but now her mother's been captured and her father's nearly dead. I don't know about you, Rei, but it would be enough to break me down if I were as young as she is..."  
  
Rei lowered her eyes, considering Makoto's reason for worry. "All the more reason we have to look out for her," She responded. "All of this death...all of the fighting that she's had to endure during this war, during her whole life has had some kind of effect on her, and I think it's just what happened to her parents that's bringing all of the ill effects of battle out of her. We just have to be vigilant about how she goes about her fighting - this is a freedom fight, not a massacre. And if all of this death and bloodshed is effecting her developing mind in that negative way you mentioned...then we have to do what we can to ensure that she doesn't grow up into the Black Lady that the Wiseman transformed her into..."  
  
Makoto laughed a bit. "I don't believe this, you're starting to sound like Serenity."  
  
Rei returned the laugh, not believing that Makoto was right. "If you fought with her as much as I did, I guess her personality would rub off of you, too. Now, let's go find the others, we've got fifteen minutes before they get here! Let's move!"  
  
***  
  
Ah, planet Earth... Damos gleamed as he stared out at the floating blue sphere from his viewing window. He'd made sure to position his command ship, the starship Terror, in just the right position for him to see what it was that they were capturing. Damos had been, needless to say, most pleased at such a marvel of nature. The deep blue oceans, wispy clouds, and lush terrain made Earth quite a prize for the person who controlled it. After chasing the bounties of dead, wasted planets for years, Damos had been fortunate enough to land a bounty on this tiny planet in the outer limits of their galaxy.  
  
And the money...ah, the glorious reward for such a glorious planet...  
  
The bounty offered for the capture of Earth had been the most generous payment ever given to his fleet, even for the greatest mercenary nation in the universe's history. They had never in their history let an assigned bounty slip through their hands; as a matter of fact, they never came close to losing a battle, especially with the weak competition of fighters across the galaxies. And from their stellar progress on Earth, the elegant planet's fighting forces would be no exception. Over three quarters of the planet was in their possession, their armored soldiers overrunning every feeble attempt by the Earth forces to push them back. And to think, Damos had actually thought that the planet would put up a good fight after witnessing the power of that force field that those Sailor Soldiers managed to erect around their city. To his disappointment however, the field had collapsed after he and the battalions of soldiers around him had easily shattered it with a small combined beam attack. Since that moment, the battle was beginning to look pathetic, really, with so many Earthlings running and hiding like small children while their soldiers were being slaughtered. Damos had seen more backbone in primeval slime puddles. He would have to head down himself to eliminate the final vestiges of Earth's legacy before heading off. He hadn't hunted insects in a long time; he wouldn't want to get out of practice.  
  
One objective complete, the other close to being accomplished. It won't be long until we can move on.  
  
Though she was an enemy to their cause and considered by Damos to only be a mission goal, he actually had to admit that NeoQueen Serenity was quite beautiful in her regal yet modest appearance. It wasn't so much her exterior than the look in her deep blue eyes, an air of purity and compassion radiating from them, even somehow affecting the blacker hearts of his army. Many similar reactions came when she had been brought aboard the Terror for holding until the mission was complete. Damos had only caught a glimpse of her once before she was placed in the prison level, and he'd come into contact with those eyes of hers. Something more had been there besides love however. He had seen, pain, torment, suffering, and a slight feeling of repressed rage emanating from her.  
  
I think I'll go down and see her before the day is out. I'm dying to know what makes her tick...  
  
A sudden beeping of his scouter forced him out of his thoughts - someone was sending him a transmission from the planet, something he had been expecting for the past half-hour. He opened his end of the communications link and spoke as normal - the scouter's built in microphone system would pick up every syllable of his voice.  
  
"This is General Damos," He greeted the caller with his raspy voice. "Report, soldier."   
"This is Captain Infernia, leader of Battalion Beta Two-Five reporting our progress in the palace capture operation." The silvery voice of the fire-molded being answered his request. "We are approaching the palace at full speed and should be there in minutes."  
  
"Excellent," Damos nodded approvingly, everything going according to schedule as usual. "What kind of powers have your initial scouter reports detected near there?"  
  
"As you predicted, sir," Infernia replied. "The Sailor Soldiers are there along with most of their remaining troops. How do you wish for us to proceed, general?"  
  
That decision was quite easy. Even though the palace was a masterpiece of construction - a work of art more than a place of royalty - the mission, not to mention the money, had to come first. "Eradicate everyone there. Destroy the palace if it is necessary to flush out survivors. We must make this quick, captain, we can't leave our employer waiting for too much longer. He is growing impatient with us despite our spectacular performance."  
  
"Well, I suppose if I were in the position that he was in, I'd be a bit on the bad-tempered side as well," Infernia responded. "Anyway, consider it done. Knowing what pathetic excuse of a threat that they pose, this shouldn't take long at all."  
  
Damos chuckled along with her. "Very well then. But don't underestimate those Sailor Soldiers, captain. Though they are weak as individuals, in groups they can represent a considerable force to be reckoned with. Use extreme caution, Infernia, I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."  
  
Infernia laughed a little. "Still worried about me? Damos, you're getting soft, like these Earthlings. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself. Besides, I'll have you to look forward to after this is all over."  
  
Damos grinned. Infernia was always the strong and bold one of the ranks, the characteristic that attracted him to her. For a man of his race, it was only natural to be drawn to the mighty like Infernia. "And I'll be waiting, fireball. Damos, out."  
  
The mercenary general terminated the link and stood up from his heavy steel rotating chair. He walked through the darkness of his private quarters and seated himself before a large communications array set up in the corner of his chamber. It was time to make a report to his employers concerning the capture and/or destruction of the Crystal Tokyo palace. Before the mission had begun, they had been the ones who had issued the array to him for such reports. It opened up a private, long-distance channel to the planet where they had taken occupation and were conducting private work of their own. For some odd reason, Damos always got a terrible chill running down his spine whenever he established contact with his elusive bosses, no matter how limited the exchange of words was. It was very unusual - especially for a hardened methodical mercenary veteran such as himself - to experience such traces of...fear...with a group of people who were light years away from their fleet.  
  
Ah, but of course...I keep forgetting who those people are...  
  
Sighing heavily and not wanting anything to be deducted from their final payment for deviation of orders, Damos fired up the transmitter and entered a series of identification codes before the channel was opened. At first, Damos heard nothing but static through the thin headset, but soon, all of the interference cleared and Damos was greeted to the usual thirty seconds of silence on the other side of the link. He wondered if it was a routine matter for the paranoid bunch to make any conversation they had as limited as possible. It was unbelievably frustrating at times, especially when he needed clarification of orders and to inquire what about their backgrounds he could divulge to his army. So far, only Infernia - the one he trusted the most - had been told what little information he had concerning their mysterious benefactors, and it had been shocking to say the least, even to her.  
  
Finally, after what seemed like forever, Damos was greeted in the usual cold, harsh tone of his contact, who preferred to use a codename instead a real one. It was for security reasons, Damos had been told, but he knew how paranoid they had seemed - they wouldn't trust Damos with anything important, let alone their identities, unless it pertained to the mission, of course.  
  
"This is Crix," the voice said. "Report your status, general."  
  
Quick and to the point. Damos remarked to himself. Quite the conversationalist...  
  
"Just checking in, sir. The queen is in hand and secure in the prison area of my command ship, and I've sent one of my best units to capture their capital stronghold. After that is in our possession, it won't be long until the planet is in our total control."  
  
"Good," Crix replied with no emotion in his voice. "We have almost completed our half of the deal. Hopefully, the planet will be ready for occupation soon. If you have nothing else to report, general--"  
  
"Wait a second," Damos interrupted him, risking a harsh reprisal. Fortunately, Crix only paused, allowing Damos to speak. "Crix, I know the background of your race and their place in the galaxy long ago. When will you allow me to inform my men of your identity?"  
  
No response came at first, and suddenly, Crix cut back in, quickly but sharply. "That is none of their concern at this time, general, and may I remind you that you're being paid to conquer Earth, not ask questions! Crix, out."  
  
The transmission abruptly halted, Crix's voice cutting off and screeching static once again ringing in Damos's ears. The general cursed the ill-tempered ingrate before slamming the headset to the ground and stomping toward the door. He shouldn't have expected to pry any information out of the bitter freak anyway. After all, being crammed down in a lab for who-knows-how would probably have made him that irritable, too.  
  
No matter...as long as the planet is in hand, the money is as good as ours. And Infernia, when this is all over, you and I will finally be able to take some time off from this business...  
  
Damos activated the switch next to the door, causing the steel bulkhead to whoosh open. He stepped out into the wide corridor and headed toward the turbo-lift. It was time to pay their "guest" a visit, and Damos hoped with a devilish grin that the good queen was enjoying herself as much as he was during this whole conflict...  
  
  
***  
  
The travel through the vortex was beginning to annoy Piccolo to no end. He couldn't see anything but a dark crimson haze and his body felt like it was being painfully stretched in unnatural directions. The blurry haze of the tunnel prevented him from catching a glimpse of the others, but as far as he could tell, they'd been whisking their way along the current of time for at least ten minutes, though it was feeling like an eternity. Piccolo had never been comfortable with unnatural means of travel - which to him meant anything other than walking or flying - but this was more than enough to unnerve even his steel tranquility. He wondered how that Sailor Soldier Pluto could stand being surrounded by such an enigma...  
  
Suddenly, as the cloaked Namek squinted to see if he could spot the others, he instead caught a glimpse of something else that was a sight for his eyes: light, bright shining light several yards ahead of him, all of the crimson energy converging on that single point. Before Piccolo could react, the light had enveloped him, blinding his sight momentarily and forcing him to shield his eyes with his cloak.  
  
Before Piccolo knew what had happened, he felt his body falling through the air, and he slammed shoulder first into a hard rocky surface at a high speed. Cursing his lousy reaction time as well as the stiff rigid stone, the Namek picked himself up off the ground, his eyes taking several seconds to recover from the blinding white light. He also wasn't surprised to find his muscles aching slightly, the results of the unstable gravitational powers of the time vortex no doubt, and his sense of direction a bit awkward.  
  
"Are you okay, Mister Piccolo?" Gohan's small voice brought the Namek warrior back into reality. Piccolo looked down to see the spirited Saiyan smiling up at him, glad that his mentor's bad landing hadn't caused any damage.  
  
"Yeah, my shoulder-pads cushioned the fall a bit. But I don't think a rough landing's going to stop me that easily, don't you agree, Gohan?"  
  
Gohan nodded brightly. Then, Piccolo turned away to get a good look at the surrounding area. He noticed that Tenshinhan, Yamcha, Krillin, and Chaozu were searching around the area for signs of life as Vegeta was waiting with his arms folded, gazing up over the horizon, which Piccolo could've spent quite a time looking at had there been time. Stars illuminated the dark night sky, and moon even shone brightly high above the sky.  
  
Heh, Serenity even found a way to restore the moon after I destroyed it. Truly incredible power must be linked to her and that dead asteroid...  
  
Less incredible was desolate sight of the city around them. At least, that's what it used to be. Piccolo clenched his teeth in rage as he saw nothing but smoldering wreckage surrounded by thick, billowing black smoke and dead, bloody bodies scattered among the charred debris that covered the ground. The roads and grassy areas that had once surrounded the buildings were either crushed or scorched beyond recognition. Piccolo walked up to one of the nearest corpses and bent down to look at it.   
  
It was a tall, brown-haired woman wearing a partially burnt dress and a beige overcoat, probably to shield herself from the cold of night. She was lying on her stomach with her arms underneath her. A smoking, ragged hole was in her back, and Piccolo easily identified the cause of death: someone had fired a clean ki ray right through her heart from behind.  
  
But something's not right...  
  
Piccolo followed up on a dreading hunch and slowly rolled the corpse over onto its back, and the Namek heard Gohan gasp at the sight before them. The woman had been shielding a small child with her arms and overcoat, trying to protect him from their attackers with her very life. The child, a boy a little younger than Gohan but possessing the same scruffy black hair, bore a face of innocence, a small smile on his frozen face. The most unfortunate detail was that the mother's protection endeavor had failed. The bloody hole in the small child's head was a testament to what had gone down: the ki ray had gone through her heart, but it still had enough punch left to pierce the small boy's temple and instantly kill him along with his mother.  
  
"How horrible..." Gohan whispered as he removed the overcoat and covered up both mother and child, leaving them to hopefully rest in some kind of peace.  
  
"Indeed..." Piccolo murmured solemnly as he stood up. "These invaders are even worse than I imagined. Only a cold-hearted monster like Frieza would go so low as to murder a fleeing mother and her son..."   
  
He cast a slight glance over in Vegeta's direction. The smug Saiyan prince was doing nothing at the moment except for staring off into the burning blaze before them. Piccolo didn't know what kind of thoughts were running through Vegeta's warped mind at the moment, but he was sure that it wasn't any kind of sympathy - he probably didn't even show much compassion toward murdered Saiyans, let alone Earthlings.  
  
Tenshinhan came trudging up the hill with Chaozu following not far behind. The three-eyed warrior shook his head mournfully. "I'm afraid there's not much left," He said. "There are a few other corpses near those buildings. But from the sealed doors, I fear the rest might've been..."  
  
He trailed off, only staring into the life-engulfing inferno enveloping the remains of the small city. Piccolo nodded in understanding. "And I only thought Frieza took pleasure in killing innocent people..."  
  
"But why would they attack them?" Chaozu wondered. "I mean, even Frieza didn't kill unless there was something in it for him. What could these guys have to gain by obliterating the human race?"  
  
"Perhaps Serenity has the answer," Yamcha spoke up as he and Krillin returned from checking the blazing scene. "But if we want to get to her in one piece, we'd better get moving. The fire is still burning strong and the blood on the corpses is fresh - this didn't happen too long ago, and whomever slaughtered these people could still be close by."  
  
"...A bit too late, I'm afraid," Vegeta chimed in, not taking his gaze away from the fire. "Do you feel that?"  
  
Piccolo's senses had been thrown off since the landing, but he did manage to find what Vegeta was talking about - a group of powers were a few hills away, each not too large, but considerable enough to pose a bit of a threat.  
  
"Looks like we've found our murderers," Tenshinhan pointed out. "Shall we pay them back for what they did to these people?"  
  
"It's not a bad idea," Piccolo agreed. "Let's get a good idea as to what these guys are and how they measure up in combat."  
  
Piccolo motioned for the others to follow him over the hill. As he peeked over the scorched grass, his eyes widened at what he saw at the bottom: four armored soldiers...wearing Saiyan battle armor...and scouters!  
  
"I...It can't be...!" The Namek gasped, reeling more than ever from this latest discovery. He had expected these aliens to have similar energy techniques like they did, but these soldiers were identical to the descriptions of Freiza's men that Gohan had told him about. How could it be possible, Goku killed Frieza on Namek...could his empire have lived to ravage Earth so far into the future?  
  
It could explain a great many things...  
  
Looking over at Gohan confirmed the young Saiyan's surprise. He'd actually had to deal with grunts like that on the journey to Namek, and despite the passing of that saga, it was clear that Gohan still remembered what atrocities they had committed against the Nameks.  
  
"Could they be...?" Krillin's voice came in from Piccolo's left, his memories of the armored killers resurfacing as well. "...Soldiers...of...Frieza...?!"  
  
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Vegeta snorted, as surprised as they all were. "Not even Frieza's empire could've lasted for ten centuries. And besides, if Frieza or one of his descendants were involved in this invasion, we would've been able to detect their ki right when we got to this planet."  
  
"Those guys look like Frieza's men...?" Tenshinhan's three eyes were filled with a different kind of surprise. He hadn't been around to witness the attacks on the Nameks, but he was still regarding the soldiers with high suspicion and caution.  
  
"Were they as cruel as these guys are?" Yamcha asked.   
  
"...Yes. Torturing and killing innocent elders and children without thinking twice is pretty much on par with these monsters," Gohan answered him.  
  
"Quiet, you guys, let's listen in. We might be able to figure out what's going on here..." Krillin whispered. "And push your battle power down so their scouters can't detect us."  
  
With his acute hearing, Piccolo was easily able to hear their raucous laughter.  
  
"These humans are so frail," the first soldier - a tall, muscular man - said as he glanced back at the ruined city. "Five buildings full of civilians in under fifteen minutes, we've got to be in for some kind of promotion with this victory."  
  
"Though our tactics were somewhat - how could I say - brutal?" The second soldier laughed as he glanced back at the burning buildings, the biggest structure in the middle in particular.   
  
"Who cares! The captain said to use any means necessary to eliminate the humans, and we've just given them the comfort of a mass grave," The third soldier said. "But I was surprised - a few were pretty tough. It took quite a bit for all of the screams to die down."  
  
Piccolo heard the others bear their teeth and let out a few raging growls. Tenshinhan's hunch was right; Piccolo looked over at the middle structure and saw that the doors and remaining windows had been barricaded or caved in. He gazed back toward the laughing soldiers with complete disgust. A mass execution...he wondered how many people burned to death in the enclosed inferno...  
  
"In a few minutes the captain and her squad should be arriving at the palace," The second soldier noted. "With Tridyx and Zebus with her, the general's plan can't fail now."  
  
"Yeah, I can't wait until this rock belongs to us," the first soldier eagerly grinned. "And then, all that money...we'll be able to buy our own planets for that much!"   
  
"Hey, who's that?!" The short fourth soldier's gaze shot up at an adjourning hill. For a moment, Piccolo thought that they had been spotted, but the solider was looking in a different direction. Piccolo stood up from his crouched position and looked in that direction, and he was none too surprised to spot Vegeta looking down on the grunts from nearby, his usual contemptible frown bearing into the small group.  
  
"Relax, kid, it's one of ours," the first soldier held up his hand. Piccolo grinned at that - Vegeta's white body armor and black spandex gave him the look of one of them. "What battalion are you in, soldier? What happened to your scouter?"  
  
Vegeta smirked and slowly raised his white-gloved hand. "It's gone," he simply answered. "Just like you!"  
  
A bright burst of gold ki energy exploded from his palm that impacted the first soldier head-on, causing a forceful explosion that sent the other three grunts scattering. When the black smoke cleared, Piccolo saw Vegeta grinning approvingly at the crater that the first soldier once occupied. Despite the brief peace between the fight with Frieza and now, he still had the killer aim.  
  
"You trash really are like Frieza's soldiers - stupid and fragile, just like those humans you exterminated back there. You don't deserve to wear that kind of armor - only warriors like myself are fit to don such apparel."  
  
The second soldier got to his feet first, a horrified look of shock on his face. He hadn't expected such power to come from what he must've thought was a Crystal Tokyo spy in their ranks. His widened eyes went back and forth between the smoking crater and the cocky Saiyan.  
  
"Well, so much for the surprise attack," Tenshinhan sighed. Piccolo grimaced - Vegeta's hunger for destruction was never satisfied. "Should we stop him from killing the others?"  
  
"You actually think he would listen?" Krillin replied. "He'll probably blast us instead!"  
  
"Yeah, best to let Vegeta have his way for now so we don't end up in a fight him instead of the aliens," Piccolo suggested. "Our information check will have to come when we reach Serenity."   
  
Piccolo stood up and trudged down the hill as Vegeta continued his assault on the shocked soldiers. Two of the soldiers leaped up into the air and launched ki beams at their unknown assailant. Vegeta smirked and threw up his hands, a thin field of invisible ki deflecting the beams with ease. Before the two grunts could follow up, Vegeta bounded into the air himself. Using lightning fast movements and a flurry of rock solid blows, Vegeta bloodied and killed the two soldiers in a matter of seconds, hammering them both into the ground. When Piccolo dropped to the bottom of the hill, Vegeta was calmly walking toward the final soldier, who had dropped to the ground, horror-struck.  
  
Vegeta scoffed at the sight. "Let me guess, you're a newcomer, right?"  
  
"I...I..." Was the only response who came from the small cowering soldier.  
  
"I thought so," Vegeta continued with a higher degree of contempt and disgust in his tone. "Enough power to play with civilians but not enough to challenge someone on a level higher than yours. It's scum like you that give warriors like me a bad name!"  
  
Vegeta snatched the soldier up by the throat and held him above the ground. His hand was clutching the man's throat so tightly that Piccolo could see traces of blood seeping down Vegeta's hand.   
  
"Please...don't...kill me!!" The pathetic grunt pleaded with the Saiyan. "I'll do anything...tell you anything..."  
  
"There's only one thing I'd be interested in hearing," Vegeta spat in the man's face. "Have you ever wondered what Hell feels like?"  
  
Before the soldier could respond, Vegeta charged a bit of blue ki in his hand and delivered a crushing jab into the unfortunate grunt's midsection, piercing his armor and his skin. Blood flew as Vegeta's hand came out the soldier's back, and the scared grunt's head dropped. With a swift movement of his arm, Vegeta discharged the corpse from his body. He then turned to face the rest of the group.  
  
"I'm surprised you noble fools didn't try to stop me from killing those weaklings," He arched his eyebrow. "What's the matter, did a maddening taste for avenging those people change your hearts?"  
  
"Enough, Vegeta," Piccolo cut him off, not wanting to give Vegeta the chance to enrage the others and cause a fight. "We've got more important things to worry about now. Let's concentrate on locating those Sailor Soldiers for now. Break up and start scanning for those pure kis!"  
  
Everyone took to the air and spread out, using their senses to scan the entire expanse of the planet. Piccolo had practiced many times back in the present, eventually able to scan energies on the farthest point of the planet away from him. But even with his powerful and sensitive mind, Piccolo was having trouble penetrating even several miles beyond their location, a result of what had to have been a multitude of battles occurring all around them, the ki being released from the fighting in such large amounts jamming his senses somehow.   
  
"There's a lot of active ki out there..." Tenshinhan commented as he looked out in all directions, scanning the air for the kis of the Sailor Soldiers. "...Ah, blast!! I can't get any kind of good reading on those pure kis of theirs! There's just too much energy bouncing around out there!"  
  
Piccolo concurred, having no better luck than his three-eyed companion. Suddenly, as he was about to give up the attempt, the Namek began picking up several huge power signatures coming from the south. They were much larger than the smaller ki clashes around them, enough to break through the interference.  
  
"Do you feel that?" He said to Gohan as the small child flew up to him.  
  
"Yeah..." Gohan nodded with a suspicious eye. "...About three, I'd say. But they're pretty far off; I'm surprised I was able to detect them. They're heading south as far as I can tell, and they're in an awful rush, too."  
  
"Strange..." Tenshinhan mused. "Why send down such strong guys like that if the normal soldiers are good enough to wipe out their enemies here?"  
  
"Good question," Chaozu answered him. "Wait a second, didn't Kami say that Sailor Pluto hurried back here because a big battle was about to take place and that she had felt huge powers like those??"  
  
Piccolo's mind clicked. "You're right! They must be heading over to where the Sailor Soldiers are right now, probably to finish them all off!"  
  
The three powers had to be at least over a couple hundred miles away as far as he could tell, and it would take a while for them to catch up with those hostile powers even at maximum speed. Depending on the location of the Sailor Soldiers, they could've very well reached the pure-hearted princesses and killed them before they were even close...and if the sailors were preparing to fight, Serenity was bound to be with them...  
  
"Come on! We don't have time!" Gohan echoed Piccolo's sentiment, the very same thoughts occurring to him evidently. He then took off through the sky at top speed, almost vanishing over the horizon before Piccolo called him back momentarily.  
  
"Wait, Gohan!" The beckon stopped the fiery Saiyan child in mid-flight. "How could you make such a foolish mistake after all I taught you?"  
  
"What do you mean, Piccolo?" Krillin asked in confusion. "If we don't hurry, those Sailor Soldiers may be as good as dead!"  
  
"Think about it!" Piccolo turned to the others. "If we speed there at full power, every enemy soldier within our flight path will detect us and be on us like a pack of wolves. We would be too busy fending off the grunts to even think about making it to the larger battle."  
  
"Then do you have something else is mind?" Vegeta snorted. "I hope you're not suggesting that we walk a few hundred miles in stealth while those princesses are being annihilated. That's sounds like something that dim-witted green lizards like you Nameks would suggest."  
  
"Shut up!" Piccolo snapped, his patience for the Saiyan prince's arrogance at its end. "No, we can fly at some kind of power, but it will have to be low so we don't alert the battling soldiers. The conflicting ki should mask our flight path. Once we get a clear line toward the battlefield, then we'll go at full speed!"  
  
"But that means we'll get there late!!" Yamcha protested. "Piccolo, how could you--"  
  
"Trust me!" The Namek cut him off. "It will be worth it in the long run. Besides, you heard what Kami said about those Sailor Soldiers: they're powerful in their own right, and if that Setsuna Meioh gets the news of our arrival to them, then they can come up with a plan to hold them off until we disembark."  
  
One by one, the group members nodded, remembering Piccolo's experienced battle logic's size compared to their own.   
  
"Good. Now let's head out before it's too late!" Piccolo bolted forward, keeping his mind totally focused on the three powers ahead of them while the others followed from behind. He hated the idea of going anything less than maximum speed, even if it was his suggestion, but his instincts told him that masking their presence from the battling soldiers was the best alternative. Anymore power and they would be sticking out like a sore thumb.  
  
Now I guess we'll see what kind of warriors these Sailor Soldiers are after all...Serenity, I hope you guys have prepared for the worst...  
  
  
***  
  
They're almost here...  
  
ChibiUsa looked down at the locket bearing her crystal, the one that would power her transformation into this battle. It might've been a while until she was able to put it away with this never-ending conflict - not a day had gone by when she had to transform into Sailor ChibiMoon and help fight at least one set of enemies. But she could tell that enough energy was left into the sparkling treasure for her to command one last transformation. Looking into the heart-shaped pink-shaded jewel reminded her much of the one her mother kept with her.  
  
Mommy...  
  
ChibiUsa remembered one night shortly after the war had broken out. Her mother hadn't been seen for quite some time, which was very unusual for her - with all the activities going on inside the palace, the queen would normally be there supporting her soldiers. ChibiUsa had gone looking for her out of her own curiosity, and it had taken a full hour of searching before the young princess finally came upon her in the queen's own bedroom. The chamber had been completely dark except for the moonlit areas. ChibiUsa had found her mother out on the balcony, staring out in a trance at the warring inner city below. She had assumed that her mother had heard her come in, but it was only after a soft whisper that the queen actually took notice of her. When she'd seen her mother's face look down at her, she'd been aghast - her skin was a pale, ethereal white, and her blue eyes were filling with tears.  
  
The queen had looked away from ChibiUsa momentarily to address two figures on the other side of the balcony. Even in the dark of night, ChibiUsa had been able to recognize them as Crystal Tokyo Special Forces members, both of them fully equipped and combat ready. The one on the right was holding a circular disk.  
  
"Everything is in your hands now," She had said. "Good luck!"  
  
Both soldiers had bowed politely before their queen before exiting the balcony. The one with the disk had stopped briefly and had patted ChibiUsa on the shoulder. He had bent down and smiled at her, and with the help of the moonlight, ChibiUsa was able to read his name badge: 'Fields.'  
  
"Take care of your mother, princess," He had simply said before departing.  
  
ChibiUsa had then turned back to her mother, bent down to her knees and looking her in the eyes. The princess had struggled for words - the shock of her mother's condition had stolen any words of consolation away from her throat. The queen had answered for her by embracing her. ChibiUsa's only response was to return the gesture, and she had felt her hold tighten when she heard the tears begin to leak out of her mother's eyes. The emotional pain of her people's suffering must've been greater than all of the physical pain she had endured in her time as Sailor Moon. And her mother was a strong woman - ChibiUsa couldn't imagine what level of torment had brought tears out of her eyes. No embrace had even been so despondent.  
  
It was the last she had seen her mother: hours later, the monsters had attacked the palace...and her mother was stolen away from her...from everybody...  
  
With the memory fueling her rage and determination, she turned to the four young ladies standing behind her, all with firm resolve in their eyes. They weren't going to die without taking a few with them, something ChibiUsa would expect from recent events. "Are you guys ready?"  
  
"Yes, as ready as we'll ever be," Ami Mizuno nodded. "Any second they'll be touching down. Guys, whatever happens...knowing all of you have been the best part of my entire life!"  
  
"Don't get too melodramatic, Ami, we're not finished yet, remember?" Minako said to her with a grin.  
  
"What about the Outers?" Makoto asked. "Do you think they've detected these powers, too?"  
  
"I know Haruka's instincts," Rei answered her with a nod. "They're as sensitive as mine are, and I have a feeling that they're hurrying back from wherever they went to join up with us in this fight. And wherever Setsuna is, she's probably on her way as well. We'll just have to hope that they get here soon."  
  
"Well then..." ChibiUsa said. "Let's see if we can't hold them off for a little while until they get here. Are you ready, you guys?"  
  
"Yes!" The four Sailor Soldiers replied in unison. "For Serenity's sake, let's win this fight!"  
  
"Mercury Crystal Power!!" As Ami held up her own crystal, her body began giving off a blue glow, and ribbons of shining blue water surrounded her body, reflecting bright light in ripples, like the waves of the deep ocean. With a brilliant flare, the ribbons took the form her fuku and suit, transforming Ami Mizuno into Sailor Mercury.  
  
"Mars Crystal Power!!" Rei's crystal brought forth rings of the purest fire, adding the same blazing color to her own body. The ring surrounded her upper body, waist, and legs, spinning faster as their power increased. Finally, their energy reached a pinnacle, and they enveloped Rei's body to take the form of Sailor Mars.  
  
"Jupiter Crystal Power!!" Makoto's brave voice commanded the crystal of the planet Jupiter, sending brilliant bolts of electricity coursing throughout her entire form, illuminating her with a green glow. The energy then took form, materializing into the fuku and suit for Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"Venus Crystal Power!!" Minako's crystal sparkled brightly, sending a flurry of luminous gold stars down along her body like a cyclone, giving her body a golden shine. Those stars suddenly flashed with energy, and out of the glare came the shining form of Sailor Venus, the first Sailor Soldier.  
  
"Moon Crisis Power!!" ChibiUsa's voice rang out last, the magic pink jewel on her chest reacting to the command and cloaked her small body in a cluster of pink stars. The tiny symbols gathered together around her, morphing into a suit, then a fuku. The final touch was a flash of light at her forehead, a tiara encasing a pink jewel forming around it.  
  
Sailor ChibiMoon lifted her head, looking down at the crystal on her chest. "Stay with me, mommy..." She turned back to the others. "...Let's go."  
  
Everybody nodded and began to long trek across the wide expanse of the courtyard, where the Crystal Tokyo Special Forces members who had survived the palace ambush were still busy cleaning up the bloody corpses of their comrades not to mention the rubble that had once been statues or parts of the small shrines around the palace.   
The soldiers that saw them wished them the best of luck in the upcoming fight, and some even wanted to join them to help, but ChibiMoon turned them away - it wouldn't do much good if the approaching demons were as strong as Rei had felt.  
  
The watch tower patrols waved them through the main gates of the palace area with the same supportive words as the ones in the courtyard, and Sailor ChibiMoon led the group into the inner city.  
  
The entire area before them had seen the worst of the combat thanks to its location near the palace. The corpses of Special Forces members were still strewn everywhere - it was too risky to chance leaving the palace to retrieve them - along with the bodies of a few enemy soldiers. The structures that had once towered high above the wide streets were in pieces, some still smoldering from recent combat. The group walked up to one of the still-burning buildings, where it seemed like fresh corpses had just been added to the mix.   
  
"How awful..." ChibiMoon heard Sailor Venus remark as they checked some of the corpses to see if any were still alive.  
  
"You should've been here when the battle was still hot," A silvery female voice laughed from high above. "They fought quite valiantly - it made their deaths all the more satisfying! As will yours, I am hoping."  
  
Sailor ChibiMoon's gaze shot skyward and her eyes came to rest on a lone female figure in gold armor and with long flowing gold hair floating amidst the ravaging inferno that was consuming the building. The young princess couldn't believe it - she was literally floating inside the fire, and enjoying it no less! Not even Sailor Mars could've gone through something like that...  
  
The female floated down toward the ground, where two other burly armored males joined her. The one on the left was a bald, pale-skinned goliath donning black body armor. His muscles were chiseled out of every inch of his body, and he had a cocky, arrogant grin on his large face.  
  
The second escort for the female warrior was the least human out of the three - his blue skin, the round red globes that he had for eyes, and the mandibles that was his closest resemblance to a mouth made him look like a gigantic human bug. The small trails of saliva dripping from the mandibles were a bit more than ChibiMoon's stomach could bear.  
  
"These are the legendary Sailor Soldiers we've been hearing about...?" The bald one arched an eyebrow in utter surprise. "How pathetic - I would've at least expected an intimidating appearance from the strongest warriors on the planet. You look more like a bunch of schoolgirls to me."  
  
"Hey, watch your mouth, scum!" Jupiter was the first to reprise him, her great physical strength seemingly always being doubted in a fight. "Every other monster like you that we've faced died spouting the same kind of insults!"  
  
"How bold," The female licked a pair of sharp fangs and looked over at ChibiMoon. "And you must be the daughter of Serenity. The resemblance between you and the queen is unmistakable. I can see that seem purity in your eyes that I saw in hers."  
  
"My mother...?!" She gasped. "What have you done with her?!"  
  
The magma-skinned woman held up her white-gloved hand. "In due time, princess. First, let's find out how strong the legendary Sailor Soldiers are."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Mercury asked with suspicion.   
  
"A...test," Came the reply from the woman. She placed her fingers in her mouth and blew out a high whistle. Almost immediately, five of the familiar alien commandos appeared from out of nowhere, all of them with malicious intent in their eyes. "You say that you're the strongest on planet...prove it to us by battling our warriors."  
  
ChibiMoon began to build her strength. This fight was going to be a lot tougher than she had thought. They were outnumbered eight to five, and none of the monsters seemed to care about how powerful the Sailor Soldiers could've been...  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted as the female gave one order to the five enemy soldiers.  
  
"Kill them."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. The Games are Over!

Chapter 4: The Test is Over! Tridyx Takes the Field with Frightening Power!  
  
  
As soon as the words left the mouth of the fire-skinned female, the quintet of soldiers that had appeared inside the crevices of the mauled buildings descended from their posts and onto the ravaged street below in one smooth move. But to the young eyes of Sailor ChibiMoon, it looked as if they had disappeared and rematerialized on the street in less than a second, almost like magic.  
  
Apparently, from the gasps coming from the other Sailor Soldiers, they were as aghast as she was.  
  
"What do you make of that, Mercury?" Jupiter whispered to the water soldier.  
  
A transparent blue visor had materialized over Mercury's eyes when ChibiMoon looked over, and various figures were blipping across the screen. Sailor Mercury's unblinking eyes studied the numbers and stats closely.  
  
"I'm not totally sure," She admitted as she began to scan all five soldiers. "I can tell that they have tremendous violent energy fields around them, and an ability to manipulate such vast quantities of power through superhuman physical strength could explain their unique skills...partially anyway."  
  
"What do you mean?" ChibiMoon asked, still trying to take in all of Mercury's first set of info. She grumbled to herself, hating that she had inherited her mother's thick skull.   
  
"These readings are very unstable, probably being obstructed by their enormous amounts of power," Mercury replied. "I'm not sure if their true strength lies in what I'm picking up, but it's definitely a part of it."  
  
"Then how do you explain that teleport trick they just did?" Venus asked with trepidation.  
  
"No, it wasn't any kind of teleport," Mercury continued as more figures flashed on his visor. "I was already scanning their energies during the move, and I could definitely detect their life forces moving along this plane of existence, whereas teleport tricks would've caused them to vanish for a brief instant. You may not be able to believe this, but what looked like instantaneous movement to our eyes could very well have been pure speed to them!"  
  
"Faster than light speed?!" Jupiter gasped. ChibiMoon concurred - despite their overwhelming power in the palace battle and several other skirmishes, she'd never seen any example of how fast the aliens could truly move. And if the three commanders were stronger and faster than their underlings were, then they were in worse shape than they thought - ChibiMoon hated the idea of fighting proverbial ghosts.  
  
In the meantime, the five troopers were busy doing their own analysis of the Sailor Soldiers, though theirs was a lot more on the sarcastic side.  
  
"Funny thing..." The soldier in the middle said loud enough for the Sailor Soldiers to hear it. "I thought the reports said that there were nine Sailor Soldiers instead of five. Where are the other four schoolgirls?"  
  
"I can tell you where!" One of his compatriots - a tall, purple-haired male - brashly spat. "They're hiding like the scared little children they are! At least the little princess is willing to put up a fight before we send her to Hell."  
  
That brought a chorus of laughter from the other four. Finally, the middle soldier calmed the crowd and clicked a button on his blue-tinted eyepiece, something similar to Mercury's computer as far as ChibiMoon could see.  
  
"Well, let's find out how strong these kids really are," He said to his flanking comrades. "And how long this massacre will take us."  
  
Several small figures blipped across the eyepiece, and the soldier seemed to scan in the direction of each Sailor Soldier before reading the respective results off to his teammates.  
  
"Hmm...The princess is up at 891, how surprising...The blue-haired one's at 954...The red-suited girl's has a battle power of 1016...The brunette's at 1287...and the blonde's got a power level of 1176."  
  
More laughs followed from the remaining soldiers, causing another grimace to form on ChibiUsa's face.  
  
"That's it?!" Another raucous cackle came from another grunt. "That really disappoints me, I was hoping for some decent entertainment today. I could get better target practice with those weakling Special Forces members than these schoolgirls. The blonde over there is the only one that could prove to be of 'use'..."  
  
The perverted remark generated more boisterous laughter among the group, and it caused Venus walked forward with an angered expression. ChibiMoon knew how explosive Venus was to comments like that one. "Hey, watch your mouth, alien trash, I'm not just some pretty girl for pervs like you to gawk at, and I've had about enough of you arrogance! As the guardian of love and on behalf of the planet Venus...I'll punish you!!"  
  
"'Punish' us??" The first soldier was incredulous. "For the love of all that's---oh, forget the rest of this showboating before we have to endure something like that again. Kill them!"  
  
The five soldiers charged forward at normal speed, and Mercury's computer blipped again.  
  
"What's going on, Mercury?" Sailor ChibiMoon looked over at her.  
  
"They're beginning to concentrate their power. It's time to fight back!" The visor vanished as Sailor Mercury gathered up her power over the water. It began forming around her like a whirlpool, and soon Mercury had an orb of pure blue water in her hands. "Mercury...Aqua Rhapsody!"  
  
A column of magic-enhanced water flew from Mercury's hands, traveling toward their attackers at considerable speed. The soldiers were taken aback by such a show of force by their opponents, and two of them were caught in the wave while the others dodged just in time. The two victims of the Aqua Rhapsody flew backward and hit the ground hard, sending them into a temporary daze.  
  
The three survivors of the attack flew up into the air and shot a glower in the direction of the Sailor Soldiers. They hadn't expected to be shown up so quickly by a group of opponents, let alone a bunch of schoolgirls as they saw before them. The two victims of Mercury's leadoff attack who were picking themselves off of the ground didn't look too pleased either.  
  
"...Fire!!" The squad captain commanded.   
  
ChibiMoon jumped back as a beam of gold energy hit the place where she was standing only a second ago. Another beam nearly clipped her arm and ChibiMoon found herself jumping and dodging all over the ground as the beams came to within inches of finding their mark. There were so many bouncing beams flying around that she couldn't even get a chance to draw out her scepter.  
  
And after all the warning about training that Hotaru gave me...  
  
"I'll take care of this!" Jupiter called out as she ducked several beams of energy. Almost instantly, lightning began sparking around her and the small lightning rod in her tiara. "Jupiter...Supreme Thunder!"  
  
Bolts of lightning exploded from Jupiter's body, intercepting and deflecting the incoming beams.  
  
"I...impossible!!" The second soldier gasped as he continued his onslaught of beams.  
  
"Nice going, Jupiter!" Sailor Mars grinned, drawing a bead on the two ground soldiers that had been weakened by Mercury's Aqua Rhapsody attack. "Allow me..."  
  
Rings of fire formed around Mars' body, and using Jupiter's Supreme Thunder attack as a shield, aimed toward the two prone troopers.  
  
"Mars...Burning Mandala!"  
  
The rings sailed through the air toward the soldiers, who weren't prepared because of the thunder. The searing rings split into two groups at Mars's command and buried themselves into the chests of the commandos, shattering their armor and scalding their chests. As the flames dissipated, the two soldiers were motionless on the floor, their wounds spewing black smoke. ChibiMoon couldn't tell if they were dead or not, but they wouldn't be causing them anymore trouble.  
  
"Not bad..." The squad captain commented as he glanced down at Sailor Mars's handiwork. "...But let's see how you handle a little hand-to-hand combat! Attack!!"  
  
The three remaining soldiers blasted down from the sky, their bodies slamming into the street like battering rams as the Sailors dove for cover. ChibiMoon felt her hurried jump carry her over to the left flank behind one of the buildings, landing right next to Sailor Mars. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus had taken a bit of the shockwave from the soldier's rapid descent, sending them sailing off to the right.   
  
Then, as the squad captain and one of his men went over to continue assaulting the other three Sailor Soldiers, ChibiMoon saw the perfect opportunity with the remaining straggler who had been sent over to finish her and Mars off.  
  
"Mars, is your eyesight in good shape at this point?" ChibiMoon asked. The Sailor Soldier of fire looked over with a bit of confusion, so ChibiMoon elaborated. "I'm going to go up and distract that guy, and when you have a shot, hit him with a Flame Sniper!"  
  
Mars nodded with optimism and stood up, taking cover behind the building to keep out of sight from the commando. "Okay, but be careful, these guys are more experienced in martial arts combat than you are. Don't take any unnecessary chances!"  
  
"Got it," ChibiMoon nodded as the soldier came into view. "You just be sure to stick that arrow in him and not me! Good luck!"  
  
"So here you are!" The brash voice of the commando cut the conversation short. "So you survived those beams I targeted at you. Pretty impressive for a brat!"  
  
"A brat?!" ChibiMoon steamed as the Pink Sugar Rod materialized in her hand. "How dare you insult me! And how dare you try to blast me and my friends into oblivion! In the name of Crystal Tokyo and for my mother who you kidnapped, I'll punish you!"  
  
"What a baby..." The soldier chuckled as he extended his open palm. "You know, it's very hard to miss from this range...so I hope your reflexes are up to specs!"  
  
Another golden energy ray shot out from the soldier's gloved hand, forcing ChibiMoon to leap into the air in order to dodge it. As the beam impacted on the ground behind her and sent smoke everywhere, ChibiMoon took aim with her small scepter, concentrating her power into it.  
  
"ChibiMoon...Sugar...Heart...Attack!!" The small princess called out.   
  
But instead of the desired counterattack, the rod didn't respond, not sending forth a spark of energy.  
  
Oh no, not now!!  
  
Her failure to execute the attack caused her to forget that she was descending in mid-air, and Sailor ChibiMoon found herself crashing into the ground in front of the soldier with a dull thud before she could regain her momentum.  
  
"Was that it?" The commando asked in disbelief as ChibiMoon tried to shake off the cobwebs. "It's no fun killing someone who doesn't know how to fight back, let alone a brat who is the same...but why not? It'll mean some extra pay for me!"  
  
The trooper raised his hand - probably to fire down another energy beam at the prone target - but a sudden burst of fire from behind ChibiMoon sent the unsuspecting alien flying backward and into the wall of one of the crumbling buildings. Looking up, ChibiMoon had seen that the now-motionless grunt had been impaled on the wall by an arrow of fire. The princess turned back and saw the confident form of Sailor Mars standing just outside her hiding place, a bow of pure flame glowing in her hands.  
  
"Bulls-eye, Mars!" ChibiMoon smiled as she stood up. She grumbled as she looked down at her pink scepter. It was just her luck - she thought she had gotten that attack down to the point of total control over the Sugar Heart Attack, and it had almost cost ChibiMoon her life with one brief failure.  
  
"Relax, ChibiMoon, that power will come back to you when you'll truly need it," Mars winked. "Just believe in yourself!"  
  
The princess smiled back before looking over at the battle between the two surviving soldiers and the other three Sailors. The skirmish was going very well in their favor - Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury were able to avoid the beam attacks while parrying whatever punches or kicks came their way.  
  
"You know, Rei..." ChibiMoon turned to Sailor Mars. "We may have a chance of winning after all!"  
  
However, instead of the same confident return from Mars that she had expected, the fire soldier's eyes widened and she rushed forward in the direction of Sailor ChibiMoon.  
  
"ChibiUsa, look out!!" Before ChibiMoon could react to whatever was happening, Mars dove in front of her. Suddenly, the area in front of Mars exploded with dazzling gold light, and the black-haired priestess fell forward onto the ground clutching her face in agony.  
  
"Oh, no!!" ChibiMoon gasped.  
  
Looking past the form of Sailor Mars, ChibiMoon saw the bloody outline of her would-be killer standing a few yards away from the building. It was the soldier that Mars had hit with the Flame Sniper. Apparently, the arrow hadn't been enough to instantly kill him, and the trooper was walking limply with a bleeding hole in his gut where the arrow had hit.  
  
But the damage had been done to the unfortunate commando - the beam was evidently a final desperation attack aimed at ChibiMoon, but Mars had been the one who had checked to see if the soldier was dead while ChibiMoon had been celebrating. And now, thanks to her arrogance and carelessness, Rei was hurt very badly.  
  
"Rei, Rei!!" ChibiMoon lifted the head of Sailor Mars off of the ground. The sight of Mars's face wasn't pleasant - the beam had evidently struck her face dead-on, but because of its low power generated from its dying origin, the blast had only been enough to severely burn Rei's face instead of killing her. "Can you still hear me?!"  
  
Rei's hands gripped ChibiMoon's shoulders, and the princess could tell by her clenched teeth that she was fighting off the painful urge to scream out in pain.  
  
"Rei, say something, anything! Please don't die!" ChibiMoon cried out in panic, fearing that the blast would kill her friend after all.  
  
Finally, after a few tense seconds of suffering from the beam, Sailor Mars answered ChibiMoon's pleas.  
  
"I've been better..." She moaned. "I think I'll live, but my eyes are useless now - I can't even open them because of these injuries...but don't worry, I can still fight! "  
  
"Rei..."ChibiMoon lightly touched one of her friend's eyes, and she had to yank her hand away to keep it from being burned. "...You have to get out of here. You'll be too much of a target for them if you remain. Please, I can't let you die out here!"  
  
"Relax, my senses will keep me focused. They're nearly as good as my eyes were." Mars reassured her as she rose up unsteadily. "Now how are the others faring?"  
  
ChibiMoon glanced over to the opposite end of the street just in time to see one of the grunts get sent through the wall of one of the buildings from Jupiter's Supreme Thunder attack. A brilliant Venus Crescent Beam slammed the squad captain in the gut, sending him sprawling to the ground.  
  
"Come on, Mars, let's get moving," ChibiMoon tugged on her blinded friend's hand.   
  
Nodding slightly, Mars followed, her skin still spewing a few wisps of smoke. ChibiMoon looked over at the three other enemy warriors, who were looking none too pleased with the performance of their commandos against the Sailor Soldiers. As her eyes landed on each commander, something coming from them made her legs feel somewhat weak all of a sudden.  
  
What power...certainly more than these five had to offer...Hotaru, Setsuna, where are you? We'll need everything we can get against these monsters...  
  
***  
  
Infernia shook her head in revulsion as her soldiers went down one by one. The surprise water attack from the one in blue had been one thing, but she'd never expected those girls to dodge virtually every single attack that the squad had thrown at them. Now, all her opening greeting to the Sailor Soldiers had to show for itself was a perverted remark from one of the squad members and just one wounded Sailor Soldier. And this had been the squad that had dispatched five entire bases of civilians and Crystal Tokyo Special Forces.  
  
So much for the quick victory...I can't believe those idiots...getting beaten by these weaklings. I'm beginning to wonder how those frail morons ever managed to make the cut for my elite unit.  
  
As far as she saw, the lieutenant commanding the hapless quintet was the only one left, and he was struggling to his feet after an attack by the blonde sailor.  
  
She heard Tridyx's scouter blip, and she saw the huge goliath cross his tree trunk arms and spit on the ground in repugnance.   
  
"I don't believe this," He snorted as the lieutenant managed to pull himself up from the ground. "His power's almost down to zero already! How could those girls be that strong??"  
  
"I don't think it's a question of strength," Infernia mused, drawing Tridyx's attention. "Their powers are quite peculiar, nothing like the techniques we have mastered."  
  
"Do you suspect that they can raise their ki without having to change their shape?" Zebus suggested. "I have heard rumors that many warrior races throughout the galaxy have begun to master the rare art. Perhaps these five have perfected that uncanny ability."  
  
"I doubt it," Infernia responded. "Besides, I've monitored their powers through my scouter to see what kind of tenacity these girls had, and none of the power levels fluctuated in the least bit! And our soldiers each had battle powers of at least two thousand!"  
  
"Then how were these Sailor Soldiers able to dispatch of them so easily?" Zebus questioned.  
  
"No matter," Infernia shook off the inquiry while giving a fiery glower in the direction of the three Sailor Soldiers. "After all, this was just a test of their abilities. Remember, just because they have some secret to slightly increase their attack power doesn't mean they stand a remote chance against us."  
  
"Of course," Tridyx chuckled, his confident demeanor restored. "Thanks, captain, I was pretty worried there for a second."  
  
"Sparkling...Wide...Pressure!!" A thunder disk coming from the brunette's hands was too quick for the weakened lieutenant to handle in his dilapidated state. The disk connected full force with the lieutenant's chest, sending massive amounts of pure voltage coursing through his armored body and throwing him into the air. With an agonized scream, the lieutenant sailed through the night sky, electricity trailing behind him in his wake, and he crash-landed in a smoking mess a few yards away from the trio of commanders.  
  
"I'd say that they passed that test with flying colors," Zebus commented as the soldier weakly lifted his head up. Amazingly, he was still alive, albeit completely crippled. "What extraordinary powers those girls have. They can control elements and magic as easily as we control energy."  
  
"Captain..." The lieutenant reached a burned, tattered arm up toward Infernia. A few volts were still pricking at his skin and his eyes were glazed over, his mind far outside reality. The sight disgusted the captain, who absolutely resented the fact that one of her elite soldiers had been beaten. "Please...help me...I can't get up..."  
  
Infernia smirked as she extended her hand to the dazed and blinded soldier. "Certainly..." She licked her fangs as she tightened a grip on the lieutenant's gloved hand. "It's the least I can do...for failure."  
  
Moments later, there came the same satisfying scream from the lieutenant's mouth that came from all of her victims. Infernia basked in the radiant heat as what was left of the lieutenant burned to a cinder in less than a minute. When the tissue had been totally incinerated, the flames slowly died out, and Infernia rescinded her exposed bare red hand. She watched with pleasure as the fire that had caught onto it from the burning corpse soaked itself into her skin like water.  
  
Such is the fate of those who fail General Damos...  
  
Her moment of delight concluding itself for the time being, the magma-skinned captain turned back to the Sailor Soldiers, who had gathered around the red one, the only one who had been injured during the whole exchange. Each of them were inspecting the burns on the red one's face while throwing a suspicious eye back toward her and her two escorts every so often.  
  
So, one falls, but she still insists on fighting. Infernia noted with an arched eyebrow. She chuckled a little bit at the bright red surrounding the injured Sailor Soldier. But that's just what I'd expect from one who could control such an awesome destructive force like fire. I must remember to keep my eye on that one - anyone who could maneuver the flame is certainly a threat, blind or not.  
  
"Captain," Tridyx interrupted her analysis. "How do you wish to proceed?"  
  
"Well, I have no interest in the four older Sailor Soldiers, despite the red one's knack for manipulating fire," Infernia responded. "The only one I want left alive is the princess. Remember my plan for Serenity, and I can assure you...the picture will be worth more than a thousand words when the queen holds the charred skeleton of her only daughter. It will be a fitting end to---Wait a second!! Yes... now I have better plan."  
  
"What do you mean, captain?" Tridyx curiously asked with a grin, well aware of Infernia's devilish mind and some of the diabolical concoctions that were born from it.  
  
"Suppose, for one, that I invite their king to the show," She suggested.  
  
"The king?" Zebus asked. "I remember reports from the battalions stating that he was injured in the ambush attack on the palace."  
  
"Precisely," Infernia nodded. She continued slowly, immersing herself in her devious scheme. "Tell me, Zebus, how would you think Serenity would react if her beloved husband was slowly burned to ashes - letting out a symphony of agonizing cries - right in front of her helpless eyes?"  
  
"In front of her eyes...?" Zebus repeated in awe.  
  
"...You're a genius, captain," Tridyx echoed his sentiment. "A complete and utter genius. Only you can make your enemies suffer misery in Hell before even sending them there."  
  
"You're too kind, Tridyx," Infernia chortled as she replaced her glove for the moment and set her eyes on the princess, who was still tending to her injured friend. "She's an exact image of her mother. I wonder if the resemblance will remain once the skin is torched off."  
  
"Well, if you're getting the princess," Tridyx began. "Then let us handle the other Sailor Soldiers! We want to have some fun on this trip, too!"  
  
"Yes!" The antennae lining Zebus's mouth shivered and flowed like black and white waves. "I've been so looking forward to annihilating those sentient healers, and now is the perfect time to demonstrate my race's power to them!"   
  
"Well, there's no sense in both of you getting your hands dirty at this point," Infernia answered them. "Remember, we have to conserve our energy for the insects in the palace. Tridyx, since you asked first, you may take care of them."  
  
"All right!!" Tridyx pumped his arm as Zebus began to grumble. "I'll make bloody shreds out of all of them in a few minutes!"  
  
"Oh, come now, Tridyx, don't finish them off too quickly," Infernia smirked. "Try to put on a half-decent show for Zebus and I."  
  
Tridyx pounded the chest of his black-plated armor and began flexing and stretching a bit. "Ah, it's been a month or two since we landed on this rock and these Earthlings still haven't entertained me. I hope that these Sailor Soldiers can provide my first glimpse of it before I destroy them! Trust me, captain, it's going to be a fantastic display!"  
  
"Good, just leave the princess alive for me to deal with," Infernia reminded him. "And by the way...I think I may have the first target in mind for you, my friend."  
  
Infernia nodded in the direction of the blue-haired Sailor Soldier. The transparent blue visor had once again materialized over her eyes and she was busily scanning her injured comrade's wounds. Infernia had noticed it earlier before the quintet had begun their assault, and from the readouts she was reporting to her friends, it bore a very strong resemblance to their technology, perhaps even on a bit of a higher level than their own machinery. What more, the blue Sailor knew exactly how to use it...and what to scan for in their enemies. It had been those readouts of her visor that set the stage for the Sailors' counterattack against the squad. Infernia pointed the object out to Tridyx.  
  
"It's a piece of machinery more advanced than our scouters that can read and analyze our every movement down to the molecule...that kind of technological advantage in their hands is dangerous, wouldn't you say?"  
  
"As well as the mind that uses it," Tridyx concurred. "No problem, captain. She's mine!"  
  
Tridyx zipped forward and landed several feet away from the group. The Sailors, obviously startled by Tridyx's blinding speed, stumbled backward in defensive stances while the blue-haired Sailor helped her injured comrade back and acted as a human shield while the red Sailor was still trying to fight off the sting of the burns.  
  
"How touching," Tridyx scoffed at their unity. "Never leaving a comrade to die, no matter how maimed she is. Even with those gifts of hers, only the eternal darkness of Hell awaits beyond the lonely blackness she's experiencing now."  
  
***  
  
ChibiMoon grimaced at the monster looming over them, more so toward his cocky sadistic attitude than his formidable appearance. His black armor only enhanced his monstrous form, and his coal-black eyes were casting an intimidating look toward the whole group. This guy wasn't going to be messing around like the five alien grunts did - he meant business.  
  
"Well, if you girls are through with the warm-up exercises, I think it's time for the main event to begin."  
  
"Just who are you guys, anyway?" Jupiter was the first to respond. "And why have you done this to us?"  
  
The behemoth shook his head at the question. "Who we are isn't as important as the one we're working for, fools. You see, I've been looking at your technology, and aside from a few interesting tidbits to share with the development teams, it's all very much laughable. You haven't even gotten around to space travel yet!"  
  
"What's your point?" Venus retaliated. "Just because we're not out chasing stars doesn't mean we haven't come a long way!"  
  
"My point is that none of you know about the darker sides of this galaxy. While you're enjoying this personal paradise of peace here, wars, destruction, and revolution have swept over the universe, engulfing everybody who was too weak to stand up to it. The strongest beings want to survive, and that's why they need people like myself and my associates - the fighters and lowlifes necessary to do their dirty work."  
  
"...You're mercenaries?" Mercury hypothesized.   
  
"Very perceptive," Tridyx nodded in her direction. "Yes, my comrades and I are members of the most feared mercenary alliance in the universe; we've been recruiting for over ten centuries. However, thanks to the marvels of genetic engineering and the sciences, our leader has managed to extend his natural life periods almost to the point of infinity. We swoop down, consume and conquer a planet, and leave its fate in the hands of our employers. It's for a high price, of course, but with our efficiency, it's well worth it for them!"  
  
"Mercenaries with an immortal leader...?" ChibiMoon repeated as it sank in. "If that's true, then you and your pals are disgraces to this universe! Anybody who chooses killing innocents for money is nothing more than a demon!"  
  
"True, but we'll be very rich demons when this is overwith. Our boss is paying us the largest sum in our alliance's history to clean up this little hovel, and from the efforts put forth by your pathetic comrades, I'd say that the bargain was a steal!"  
  
"Who was it?" Mars called out into her blackened world. "Who hired you to destroy this planet? Tell us!"  
  
"I'm sorry, but I'm not privy to that information," The bald mammoth answered in a sarcastic tone.  
  
"You're lying!" ChibiMoon retorted in frustration.  
  
"So what if I am?" He responded nonchalantly. "Are you going to force it out of me, eh, little princess?"  
  
The titan stomped forward, and the five Sailor Soldiers drew back in caution. ChibiMoon could feel the energy around them beginning to stir - the armored commander was starting to gather his strength.  
  
"Well, it looks like you want to do this the hard way. Good, that's what I wanted - it wouldn't be any fun killing you if you just surrendered! In that case, allow me to present to you the radical power you've ever witnessed!"  
  
ChibiMoon watched and sensed as the behemoth began to draw in insane quantities of energy; it was enough to cause the ground beneath them to tremble and crack and the buildings near them to crumble to pieces. A black energy field formed around the confident warrior's body, emitting volatile rays of blue and black thunder that gave off enough heat to singe ChibiMoon's skin even from the several dozen-yard distance. Within a minute, the earthquake had become so bad that ChibiMoon found herself using all of her energy to keep her body from falling to the ground. And all the while, the bald titan was smiling in enjoyment as his body became charged with power, every limb glowing black with raw energy.  
  
"I've had enough of this!" Jupiter shouted as the power build-up seemed to reach its peak. "Jupiter Supreme Thunder!"  
  
Another barrage of lightning bolts - seemingly more powerful than the first - flew from Jupiter's body and struck dead-on against the energized field, and every last spark bounced right off with no apparent effect.  
  
"I hope that wasn't your best shot, little lightning bug!" The mammoth laughed as more sparks of electricity crackled around the gauntlets on his wrists. "I'll deal with you in due time, but for now, I already have an idea of who I'm sending to Hell first!"  
  
The monster's gaze shifted over to the far left...in the direction of Sailor Mercury.  
  
"Die!" With one word, the mammoth zoomed forward, black energy engulfing and streaming off of his body like a comet. Before ChibiMoon could move, he was in front of Sailor Mercury preparing to strike. Fortunately, the water soldier still had her wits, and she managed to back-flip out of the way of a lightning-fast roundhouse kick. After dodging a few more punches by what had to be less than an inch, Mercury bounded backward into the air, trying to get out of danger as soon as possible.  
  
"Hold on, Ami!" ChibiMoon called out, hoping that Mercury would be able to hear her. "Chibimoon Sugar..."  
  
"Sparkling Wide..."  
  
"Venus Crescent Beam..."  
  
"Not so fast!" The warrior took one moment from his assault on Mercury to deliver a quick barrage of gold energy beams to the remaining four Sailor Soldiers before they could finish powering their attacks. They were forced to stop in mid-move in order to keep from being fried by the demon's beams.   
  
Sailor ChibiMoon flew backward from the shock wave of one energy ray and landed hard on the ground near the others. But she managed to look up and see that the monster hadn't wasted time in continuing his relentless assault against Sailor Mercury.  
  
***  
  
"Hang on, guys, I might have a plan," Sailor Mercury ruminated to herself as she dodged yet another killer left hook from the barbarian attacking her. Her defense was holding for the time being, but from the arrogant grin stuck on the monster's face, he was just toying with her; he hadn't showed her the fullest extent of his power yet.  
  
But I'm not going to give him the chance to!  
  
Though Mercury knew that hand-to-hand fighting certainly wasn't the way to win against such a brutal expert of it, a clever move would at least buy the others some time to recover and get some kind of combination attack against their opponent.  
  
He can't fight what he can't see!  
  
Another roundhouse managed to graze her left arm, and the energy behind the kick seriously stung her skin even though it had mostly missed. Before the warrior could attempt a follow-up, Mercury used her Sailor Soldier form's power to increase her speed and mobility and utilized the added strength to help her back-flip out to a safer distance.  
  
"Now's my chance!" She said to herself and she gathered her power. "Mercury... Shabon Spray!"  
  
Magical bubbles formed around Mercury's palms and as she released them into the air, they quickly formed a blue misty fog that clouded the whole area around her and her opponent. The barbarian should've been well blinded by the mist, and - with any luck - vulnerable to a follow-up from her. She sighed for the temporary relief and reached her senses out into the watery mist to locate the behemoth's position.  
  
"What the...?!" Mercury gasped in shock as she realized that she couldn't detect the warrior even through the mist! Not even a fraction of his awesome power registered in her mind. "That incredible faster-than-light speed of his must've--"  
  
"Don't you know what happens when a little girl goes too far out into the water all alone?" An ominous snicker coming from directly behind Sailor Mercury made her blood freeze almost instantaneously. Before she could get out of there, she felt a tons of bricks in the form of the barbarian's fist slam into her back. After a wrenching scream of pain, Mercury's hold on the mist was broken, and the bubbles dispersed. She felt the goliath wrap his giant hand around her neck and turn her around to face him. She tried to shut out the pain radiating from her lower back as the warrior smirked at the helpless Sailor Mercury. "They sink to the bottom."  
  
With a quick twist of his hand, Sailor Mercury's world instantly went black.  
  
***  
  
"AMI!!!" ChibiMoon screamed in horror as the savage mercenary tossed her body over in the direction of the group. She'd seen what had happened: the Shabon Spray tactic had been useless to stun the warrior. In fact, it had just helped him to use his speed to sneak around behind Ami and deliver the fatal neck-snap.  
  
The body of Sailor Mercury hit the ground with a dull thud her eyes never to open again. ChibiMoon rushed over to it - almost carelessly - and checked the body of her lifelong friend. Indeed, her neck was broken completely thanks to that monster, and no breath was coming from her body.  
  
"Ami..." ChibiMoon stood back up, not believing what had just happened. But in her shock, she couldn't take her eyes off of Sailor Mercury. "No..."  
  
The others had gathered around the body of their friend, each as saddened as she was. Ami had always been the quiet one of the group, but she certainly was one of the most caring and one of the quickest to offer advice when one of them was feeling depressed, most of the time succeeding in lifting her friends' spirits in the lowest times. She'd also put her life on the line very often considering her defensive form of fighting, but this time, she hadn't managed to cheat Death.  
  
"This can't be..." Mars whispered in the direction of the lifeless water soldier. ChibiMoon could see a tear forming out of her closed eye, and she couldn't blame her - besides her mother, Rei had been the closest one to Ami during the entire friendship of the group. As the others were absorbing the sight of Ami's dead body, Mars dropped down next to it, pressing her hand tightly against her shoulder, but obviously not feeling anything on her cold skin. "Ami...why...Why did you have to take him on by yourself?? You knew we were down...you were buying us some time to recover with your own life...you're always like that......"  
  
Suddenly, before ChibiMoon could offer her own words of consolation, Mars sprang up from the ground and engulfed her own body in the fires that she could control and manipulate, and she propelled herself like a torpedo toward the smug warrior floating near them.  
  
"Rei?!" ChibiMoon had never seen Sailor Mars perform a technique like that before, and if Rei's eyes were open, ChibiMoon knew that the same blazing stream of fire would by enveloping her pupils. "What in the world are you doing?! You'll be--"  
  
"Don't say it, ChibiMoon!!" Sailor Mars cried back as the pure red flames carried her body toward the waiting savage. "Ami's gone, Serenity's gone, everybody's suffering all because of these parasites! Holding back has done nothing but rob me of my sight and gotten one of our closest friends killed!! I'm tired of planning and conserving my strength. This technique...it's the product of ALL of my energy, and this scum's going to feel my true power!"  
  
Sailor Mars sped forward through the night sky, illuminating the black shadows with her fire while the warrior took a defense stance of his own. Despite the cocky grin on the behemoth's face, Mars was showing no signs of slowing down.  
  
"REI! Get back here!!" ChibiMoon rushed forward in panic, desperate to talk some sense into Sailor Mars.  
  
"Don't take this chance!!" Jupiter called out from behind her. "It's suicide!"  
  
"No way..." Venus was solemn and seemingly mortified as she watched Rei clash with the monster, throwing kicks and punches at lightning fast speed while dodging the counterattacks. "...I've never seen her like this before. All of her energy is going into each punch and each kick; she won't last for long at this rate! We have to do something!!"  
  
The gold antenna extended from Jupiter's tiara as crackling electricity formed around her body. She squinted in the darkness of night and scowled in frustration. "They're moving too fast, I can't get a clear shot!"  
  
ChibiMoon hurriedly fumbled her rod in her hands, trying without much success to aim a good beam at the barbarian battling with Sailor Mars.  
  
Rei...this rage...it isn't you...please don't die!!  
  
***  
  
Rei tossed another heavy right hand at the enemy commander, which he dodged easily like all the others. The world before her was total chaotic darkness, but her senses served as an even better set of eyes - she could detect energy build-up with every blow and direct some of her own power into her defenses.   
  
"You're not bad, kid," The commander called out with a laugh. "Even without your sight, you've put up a more interesting brawl than the other weakling that I took care of a few minutes ago!"  
  
"That 'weakling' was one of my best friends!" She retorted as another roundhouse from her met only with air. "I'll never forgive you for killing her!"  
  
"Spare me your futile grudges, pathetic girl!" A sudden jab came out of nowhere and Rei felt the fire field around her buckle as the fist connected with her mid-section. A follow-up blow slammed into the left side of her head and sent Mars sailing back toward the ground.  
  
I don't believe this! Even at maximum power, I can't even touch him!!  
  
Rei managed to use her energy to cushion her fall to the hard earth, and she sprang back up into the air at full speed. Adjusting her senses, Rei could feel the titanic force speeding toward her like a missile, and from the rambunctious laughing coming from straight ahead, Rei knew that her senses weren't off. The monster was coming at her, and if she didn't act in the next few seconds, she would lying on the ground next to Ami.  
  
Maybe the Shabon Spray didn't work, but...  
  
Mars smirked at her ingenuity, and a slip bearing sacred writings appeared in her hand at her own command. The limited holy energy that the priestess possessed   
  
"Evil spirit in a demon's body..." She muttered to herself as the power began to flow into the slip. "Begone!"  
  
With a swift movement of her hand, the slip soared forward into the air, and for a brief instant, Sailor Mars felt the energy of the titanic monster freeze at the sacred magic struck him.  
  
"W-what the...?!" His startled yelp was all that Rei needed to hear. She sprung upward and speared the commander through his stomach with her two fists, and she followed up with a dropkick to the demon's chin.  
  
"Mars...Fire Soul!" A ball of flame sprouted on her joined fingertips and spiraled toward the alien, and Mars felt the ball impacting him on his midsection and sending him tumbling down toward the ground.  
  
The curse is wearing off! He's more resistant to it than I expected...I have to do this now!!  
  
Sailor Mars propelled herself downward, intent on destroying the fiend that took Ami's life, but as she began to charge all of her remaining energy in her hands for one powerful attack, her senses rang when she felt some kind of power build-up emanating from her opponent.  
  
What is he---  
  
Before she realized what he was doing, she felt the full force of a small explosion that crashed against her in mid-flight. The blast sent Mars sailing backward, and when she regained her momentum, she bit her lip, trying to hold back an agonizing scream from the burns all over her exposed flesh and singed soldier suit.   
  
But Sailor Mars's mind was still together, and she could feel the titan was still off-balance and recovering from her recent flurry of offense - the explosion he had generated was apparently a desperation move.  
  
But how did he do it...?  
  
Then, it clicked in Rei's mind how he had generated such a forceful blast underneath the binding hold of her curse. She couldn't give him a chance to do it again, and if he did cause some kind of detonation in her worsened condition...  
  
But what would it matter? I'm no good to fight after this next attack...so I'm going to make sure this one will count!  
  
***  
  
"What's happening?!" ChibiMoon's small voice rang out as she saw the flame surrounding Sailor Mars's body intensify once again as she streaked toward the ground in pursuit of her opponent. Rei's curse and a quick barrage of attacks had been the first successful offensive against the alien since the fighting had started.  
  
"That Fire Soul attack was what triggered that small explosion!" Jupiter determined. "All that negative energy build-up was small enough for him to resist, but Mars didn't even see it coming!"  
  
"Rei, look out!!" ChibiMoon cried out as she noticed the enemy commander charged an even vaster quantity of the black negative thunder energy around his body as the injured Mars sped toward him with reckless abandonment. "He's going to--"  
  
"I know," Rei's voice echoed inside ChibiMoon's head, giving the princess quite a scare. "Yes, ChibiUsa, I know. But my body is useless with these burns; there's no way I can achieve anywhere near my usual level of strength if I power down now."  
  
"What are you saying??"  
  
"I'm saying that it's time for me to fulfill my duty as a priestess and guardian of this planet and use up most of remaining power to trigger a blast big enough to make him nothing more than ashes," The voice echoed again. "Good-bye, ChibiUsa! Take care of things while I'm gone! And thank you...for everything."  
  
"No, stop it!!" ChibiMoon's voice cracked as Rei's telepathic link broke off. "Get out of there, Rei, please!"  
  
"She's not going to...?!" Sailor Venus gasped as she sensed Mars's power beginning to skyrocket. "My gosh, no!! Rei, don't do it!!"  
  
"Mars...Fire..."  
  
"What's this?! How could such a frail being attain such high power? Three thousand...four thousand...five thousand?! These guys CAN manipulate their power readings!!" The bewildered look on the face of the bald-headed terror was the most fear, the only fear that ChibiMoon had seen in him for the whole fight. It was then that she knew that Rei was serious about her bold move.  
  
"Rei, stop!!" ChibiMoon felt a few tears of panic leaking out of her eyes, but she didn't care in the least bit. "DOOOON'T!!!"  
  
"SOUL!!!" As soon as the fire discharged from Sailor Mars's body, the area around the two combatants erupted in a horrific explosion of searing heat and flame that blew balls of fire out in all directions and temporarily deafened all of the combatants within range of the blast.  
  
ChibiMoon - who had been thrown to the ground by the concussion wave caused by the blast - picked herself up off of the ground and squinted through the smoke. She saw nothing but rubble and debris of the building that Sailor Mars and the enemy warrior were about to crash into. The impact of the explosion was so great that the entire structure had been leveled.  
  
But no signs of life, no movement came from the rubble. It was a dead heap...along with Rei as well as the savage that had driven her to commit such an act.   
  
"Rei..." She whispered to herself as felt her stomach begin to cave in. Two were gone, two of her best friends were no more. She wanted to scream out in rage and hatred toward the cruel monsters, but the lump in her throat prevented any further words from coming out.  
  
Jupiter - who was in about as utter dismay as ChibiMoon and Venus were - walked over to the wreckage and picked up one small object that her keen eyes had spotted: Rei's scroll, the one she'd used on the enemy commander. The sacred power surrounding it had protected it from the blast...but unfortunately, the same could not be said about Rei Hino. ChibiMoon saw tears beginning to leak out of Makoto's eyes - tears of sadness and rage.  
  
Suddenly, when it seemed like the silence would never end, Sailor ChibiMoon gasped as the voice she never thought she'd hear again startled her.  
  
"...My, my, what a scare," The ominous voice chuckled. ChibiMoon's gaze shot skyward and she felt her heart plummet when she saw the smirking form of the demonic commander floating high up in the night sky, looking no worse for wear from Rei's explosive sacrifice. "I must say, I underestimated that little ball of fire. She was much stronger than I gave her credit for - I honestly thought my death was upon me. It's such a shame that such a noble sacrifice was all for nothing!"  
  
"Well, what did you expect?" The female called up to him from her position. "She could control fire after all, Tridyx. But you got pretty careless there, my friend - had that attack occurred two seconds sooner, you'd be in Hell with her right now."  
  
"What?!?" Sailor Venus was exasperated as the cold eyes of the warrior known as Tridyx came to rest on the remaining three Sailor Soldiers. "T-that's not possible, how could he have gotten through something like that without a scratch?! Now Rei's dead...and it was all for nothing!!"  
  
"Stupid girl!" Tridyx spat down at the trio. "This entire fight was all for nothing from the moment we arrived! Only the Reaper will be your companion once I finish all of you off! It wasn't a smart move making me mad like that - getting stunned by worthless brats like you is degrading to someone of my caliber, so I think it's time to end your pitiful lives once and for all!"  
  
Before ChibiMoon could snap out of her stupor, Tridyx launched an energy blast toward her and Sailor Venus, one that was much larger and faster than the ones that the soldiers had thrown at them earlier.  
  
"Look out!" Jupiter cried from the wreckage.  
  
"World...Shaking!!"   
  
Out of the blue, a gold orb of energy streaked across the black sky and slammed into the side of the energy bolt, canceling the attack with a powerful explosion that lit up the sky once again. When the smoke cleared, ChibiMoon looked in the direction of the blast and her eyes rested on a sight that finally brought a smile out of her.  
  
Several yards off, the trio of Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, and Sailor Saturn were standing tall, all of them ready to fight.  
  
"Someone's pitiful life will be ending today, demon," Uranus said. "And it's going to be yours!"   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. Closing In

Chapter 5: Hurry up Gohan! Tridyx's Awesome Rage Knows No Limit  
  
Despite Piccolo's warnings, Gohan couldn't resist the urge to kick up his power level a few more notches before his Namekian guardian admonished him for it. He couldn't help it - not only were Serenity and the princesses in danger, but judging from those titanic powers they had sensed, the enemy was looking to close out this war once and for all.  
  
It all looks the same... Gohan mused as he stared downward as the land. Death and ruination as far as the eye can see...it's just like Namek...I wonder how many have died?  
  
A mind-numbing picture began to materialize in Gohan's head - it was a vision of one of the Namek villages that Frieza had pillaged for the Dragonballs. He and Krillin had made it there and managed to keep themselves unseen from Frieza's superior forces, but he'd been consumed with rage as he had watched with helplessness as Frieza and his men brutally slaughtered the Namek warriors, elders, and even a small child. And though Gohan and Krillin had managed to save Dende from the massacre, the haunting images of the dead Nameks - Cargo, Morley, the three youthful Namek warriors and the two other elders - had instilled themselves in his mind for a long time afterwards. The eerie visions were plaguing him now as he caught glimpse after glimpse of dead humans scattered along the ground.  
  
"How much farther do you think it is?" Chaozu called out.   
  
"I'm beginning to detect some vague traces of their pure kis, but they're still pretty far off!" Tenshinhan answered him. "Piccolo, they won't be able to hold those guys much longer, why are we still going this slow?!"  
  
"I told you already!" Piccolo snapped back at the impatient Tenshinhan. "It's too risky. If any enemy soldiers catch wind of our powers, their scouters will go off and they could call all of their friends to our location. Trust me, in the long run, we're saving ourselves time and energy. When we get clear of all of this active energy, it'll be full speed to the battlefield!"  
  
Tenshinhan grumbled at the response, but Gohan saw that he knew that Piccolo was right - a contingent of enemy soldiers on their tail wouldn't be helping matters any. They could only pray that Serenity and her forces could hold the fort long enough until their arrival.  
  
"Gohan," Piccolo said to him as he began flying alongside of him. His eyes were as solemn as ever, but the young Saiyan could sense a purpose behind his gaze. "That emotion isn't becoming of you."  
  
"What do you mean, Piccolo?" Gohan asked.  
  
"Fear," Piccolo stated simply. "It's fear, Gohan. You're overflowing with it right now."  
  
"I..." Gohan didn't know what to say to his mentor - his senses were as keen as ever to pick out that trace of feeling from his adrenaline-powered heart. Or it had been the fact that he had been displaying the emotion out in plain sight for all of them to see, and his tremendous sense of urgency had merely blinded his own eyes to it. "It's just...something from a while ago...When Frieza was killing the Nameks, Krillin and I were next to helpless to save them...it just seems to be the same with these benevolent people...if we can't get there in time--"  
  
"Enough!" Piccolo interrupted him, obviously not approving of his faltering faith in the abilities of the Sailor Soldiers. "Those princesses can last without us for a little while, especially after all that Kami told us about their unique skills. You're like your father, you know. He was always enveloped with that sense of protecting the innocent with his own pure soul. It's all he knew how to do - I shouldn't be surprised that his younger blood has begun to develop the instinct for himself."  
  
Gohan smiled in thanks for the compliment, and Piccolo returned the gesture before the young boy turned back in the direction of his flight. His father...with his mother making him study twenty-four hours a day, he never would've guessed that his innocent smile would blossom into the steel-fisted fighter that he considered himself now. He wondered what the legendary Super Saiyan would think of him now.  
  
Actions will speak louder than words at the battlefield! Hold on, princesses, we'll be there soon.  
  
His senses were beginning to focus in on the pure kis as well, and from the huge amounts of energy surrounding them, not much more time could be spared.  
  
***   
  
"I was wondering where those other Sailor Soldiers got to," Zebus chuckled with interest at the new arrivals. The one who had cancelled out Tridyx's beam attack must've had even considerably more power than the other five soldiers, and she seemed to be the leader of the trio. "Too bad they couldn't arrive in time to save their friends."  
  
Zebus clicked the switch on his scouters and began scanning the new arrivals. His eyes widened a bit in surprise as three separate power readings registered on the tinted screen. "Hmm...The leader's got a concentrated ki level of 2500, but the other two are a bit past 2000. They're certainly going to offer a more impressive show than the first five did."  
  
Infernia wasn't paying much attention to her escort, and she was instead looking outward toward the night sky in the distance. Though nothing showed up her scouter, her instincts were telling her that something was out there...like a word on the tip of her tongue...something intangible that even her powers couldn't describe.  
  
"Captain?" Zebus noticed his superior's concerned and suspicious gaze. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"I'm not sure..." Infernia replied softly. "I have an odd feeling about the developing scenario, almost as if something we haven't considered into this equation is upon us."  
  
"Could it be some more energy signatures?" Zebus guessed.   
  
"No, my scouter isn't reading a thing," Infernia shook her head. "But my instincts can sense things that this machine cannot. Something bothers me about what's out there..."  
  
"Relax, captain," Zebus laughed at his commander's caution. "I think I know: this battle is too easy, so you think the Sailor Soldiers have held back on purpose to spring some kind of trap on us while our guard is down. Trust me, captain, these princesses are too pure-hearted: they wouldn't sacrifice their own kind for a trick that could avail to nothing."  
  
"So..." Infernia turned an insulted eye back toward Zebus. "You're saying that my superior intuition is wrong, Zebus?"  
  
The smug grin instantly vanished from Zebus's face. "No, captain! I was merely suggesting--"  
  
"Never mind about your suggestions, I am in command here!" Infernia snapped back at him. "You are so dense in terms of foresight, just like your race. You should've taken your early experiences in the military unit more seriously back when we took you away from that infectious slime pit that you called a home planet, Zebus. Perhaps if you had felt some more compassion and trust for those bloodthirsty vermin would've changed your outlook on this mercenary life..."  
  
That remark shut the overgrown insect up in a hurry, but from the dangerous gleam that suddenly appeared in Zebus's eye, she was almost certain that he was going to lash out at her with his fist. Instead, she was on the receiving end of a raging growl before Zebus turned his back and stared once again in the direction of the fight.  
  
He can be such a pitiful little cockroach at times...  
  
Despite Zebus's love for murder and money coinciding with his natural hatred for his own people, Infernia knew that the insectoid was as crafty as he was powerful, and he had never been the same ever since General Damos gave the order that altered the lives of the Trisgamman race forever. Despite his grudges that Zebus held against his petty cannibalistic brethren, Infernia could sense that scars had been left on Zebus ever since. They were still there today; they were only covered over by rank, money, and the pleasure of killing that all Trisgammans enjoyed so much. For someone like Zebus, leaving his people for the life of a mercenary might've been worth it...at least if it weren't for--  
  
Infernia shook it off, redoubling her efforts on the odd intangible feeling that had come over her. Staring back at the stars, they seemed to offer no answers, but she'd been in battle far too long to overlook such peculiar sensations.  
  
Whatever it is, I'll be ready to kill it when it rears its deceitful face...  
  
***  
  
Sailor Uranus stood tall and glowered in the direction of the floating menace, who had a smug grin plastered over his large face. He clearly wasn't impressed with the Outer Soldier's counter-attack; in fact, it seemed to have amused him to a great extent.  
  
"So, three of the final four Sailor Soldiers crawl out of their hole to witness my display," The bald-headed titan snickered. "Welcome to the show, ladies, although you've arrived a few minutes too late for the opening act. However, to make up for not waiting for the entire audience, allow me to present a homecoming present to you since this will be the last day you will alive to witness your home."  
  
He pointed down toward the ground several meters below and away. Uranus looked over toward where the goliath was motioning, and she gasped with horror at the sight several yards away. Lying prone on the cracked pavement was a lone corpse, but it didn't bear the black uniform of the Crystal Tokyo Special Forces like so many of the others Haruka had seen - this body was donning a blue Sailor Soldier suit, and from the unnatural lump protruding out of her neck, Haruka could gather what had caused her death.  
  
"Ami...!!" She heard Hotaru gasp. "Her neck..."  
  
"That wasn't even a warm-up exercise. She was quite weak for someone renowned for her power on this planet. The red one was a bit feistier; she even nearly took me to Hell with her. Don't worry though - she went out with blazing glory."  
  
"That explosion...?!" Neptune whispered to Uranus. "It couldn't have been--"  
  
"Yes..." Sailor Uranus regretfully frowned. "She was inside the heart of the explosion - I felt her power radiating from it. It could only have been a suicide attack..."  
  
"Rei and Ami..." Sailor Saturn was clutching her glaive tightly while clenching her teeth. She wasn't taking the shock well at all - despite her powers as the Soldier of Death, she couldn't seem to fathom what had just happened. "I can't believe it...my beloved friends...they're both gone..."  
  
Uranus turned back toward her comrade as Neptune put a gentle motherly hand on the distraught Saturn's shoulder.  
  
"There's no time for tears, Hotaru," Neptune lightly said to her. "Ami and Rei may be gone, but we've been as close to them as you have been as well, and though they're gone, they're with us now, giving us strength in their deaths. They want us to keep fighting with all we've got. Let's fight those demons for them, for the queen, and for Earth!"  
  
Hotaru nodded back toward her mentor before the trio took up defensive stances as they faced off against the gloating monster. Looking down toward the ground, the princess of the planet Uranus saw the tired but cheery face of the princess, who seemed to have been rejuvenated by the appearances of more allies.  
  
"Relax, princess, we'll take it from here," She smiled down at her.   
  
"What?!" ChibiUsa's expression of happiness vanished. "But I can't just stand by while the three of you fight! Haruka, you don't understand, these guys are incredible! They killed Ami and Rei without even breaking a sweat! It's going to take ALL of us to beat them!"  
  
"Don't worry, ChibiUsa!" Sailor Saturn stepped into the small princess's view and smiled down at her.   
  
"Hotaru..."   
  
Uranus saw that the young Sailor Soldier was still a bit weakened from their long hurried journey back to the city - her breath was heavy and fresh perspiration was slithering down her face. Of course, she wasn't letting it show, mostly because of ChibiUsa's worrying mind when it came to her best friend's health.  
  
"Please, don't fear for our lives, ChibiUsa, you've endured enough in this fight already," She responded. "We can defeat this demon with our combined power, I know it. Just get your strength back and let us take this monster out!"  
  
"...Okay. But be careful! Please don't die!" ChibiUsa reluctantly nodded back.  
  
"How touching," The monster laughed aloud as the conversation progressed. He turned down to ChibiUsa and winked in her direction. "Don't be too concerned about their fates, princess, you'll all be reunited in Hell when we've finished with you!"  
  
The bald-headed behemoth turned back to his other two comrades who were looking on from several yards away. Both had seemed quite surprised and thoroughly amused by the arrival of the Outer Soldiers, as if it were another round of play in their twisted game.  
  
"Hey, captain!" The goliath called to the red-skinned female. "Can I take care of these three, too? All of them seem anxious enough to die."  
  
The 'captain' of the trio arched a golden eyebrow as she studied their three powerful adversaries. Uranus kept a close watch on her - after everything they'd gone through in recent times, she wasn't about to let her guard down for a second against someone who was emitting so much energy. She knew from personal experience that it only took one second for these aliens to strike with lethal force.   
  
"Why not?" The fanged warrior shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "It'll just be more of a show for Zebus and I. Just try not to take too much longer, Tridyx - Damos will want the planet's capital in total control within the hour."  
  
"With pleasure," Tridyx cracked his knuckles with an insidious snicker. "These three with be nothing but dust within fifteen minutes, I promise!"   
  
Uranus was gazing back at his black eyes with disdain, not only for what he did to Ami and Rei, but also for how lightly he was taking the fight before him. He was either very cocky or extremely powerful...and half of Uranus's rage was fueled by the fact that the latter could've been the correct choice.   
  
But, in as dire straits as they seemed to be in, Haruka wasn't about to let it show. "I've had enough! Your crimes against our people are unforgivable!" She fired at him. "For the sake of this planet and for the sake of our friends that you've killed, we'll destroy you once and for all!"  
  
"Your bravery fits someone of such interesting power," The titan responded. "But even if the three of you give me your best, I'll still be standing tall while your corpses burn. The fifteen-minute clock is going, warriors, and I'm not about to break my promise to my captain."  
  
"We'll see about that..." Uranus began to charge more energy in her fist and made a slight motion to Sailor Saturn and Sailor Neptune, who acknowledged in the same subtle manner. The energy bolts sparking from Haruka's fists covered their movements as they slipped out onto the sides of two buildings adjacent to the one they were standing on and began charging up their own attacks without drawing the monster's attention. Uranus prayed that the furtive attack would work while he was distracted. "...Now take this if you can!"  
  
A gold spark flashed on the Sailor Soldier's palm and another World Shaking orb streaked toward their opponent with blinding speed. Through the glare of the sphere, Uranus could tell that the monster didn't look worried. But she smirked at his reaction - it was all she needed to see.  
  
"Hilarious..." He muttered as he cupped his palms together and held out his arms. "...And worthless!"  
  
The World Shaking attack struck Tridyx's palms dead on with a terrific detonation, but the results were less than satisfying for the leader of the Outer Soldiers - the demon was still floating in the air with no damage done. But out of the corners of her eyes, Haruka spotted her comrades powering up to maximum. The titan in front of her had been oblivious to everything except her low-powered attack.  
  
"Was that it?" Tridyx laughed as he folded his arms. "I must admit, I was expecting more from--"  
  
"Deep Submerge!"  
  
"Silence Glaive Surprise!"   
  
Two attacks - one an ocean-colored orb and another a quick motion of a deathly silent collection aura - fired from the two Outer Soldiers pincering Tridyx. Both forces struck the giant head-on, cutting him off in mid-speech. Sparking blue and black energy enveloped Tridyx from both sides, engulfing his entire body in a mix of violent power. Neptune and Saturn had put full power into their attacks, all right, and with his guard down, that alien should've been nothing more than ash. Uranus relaxed her stance, nodding approvingly toward the silent assassins, who were looking a bit more than drained after expunging even more of their dwindling energy in the surprise assault.  
  
Suddenly, as Haruka was about to check on Saturn and Neptune, the smoldering energy cloud of black and blue instantly dispersed with a shock wave of energy. Uranus was thrown down onto the rooftop thanks to the concussion wave, and her head slammed hard into the solid concrete.   
  
What the...??  
  
Sailor Uranus dizzily rose from the ground, trying to clear her head as well as her vision as she stared with glassy eyes into the remnants of the energy cloud. Something was there, but in her dazed state, she couldn't quite make out what it was from the dark night sky and the distance.  
  
"--someone of your boldness," An icy voice finished a sentence with a soft, ominous cackle.  
  
Uranus gasped as she stared forward - she couldn't believe her eyes when the hulking figure of Tridyx came straight into her view, his arms extended to the sides. Somehow, by some mastery of speed and defensive skill, he had completely blocked both attacks seemingly without even knowing that they were coming.  
  
"What?! But how...?!" Neptune was exasperated, not believing that the monster was still alive.  
  
"Fools! Did you honestly think an ambush would pierce my defenses?" Tridyx laughed in her direction. "Do you think I'm as brash and stupid as the infantry soldiers you've killed so far? Despite your clandestine strategy, I knew those two attacks were coming from the moment you started powering up. It's a terrible flaw of yours, Sailor Soldiers - unable to disguise your own energies in order to surprise an enemy! What beginners..."  
  
"Who said we were finished?" Uranus fired back, her senses regained from her fall. Her anger was beginning to swell up as well - she just couldn't believe that such a cocky ignorant fool like Tridyx could overcome her superior leadership and fighting ability. It was all the more incentive for her to annihilate him and his two associates. "That was only the beginning!"  
  
"The beginning of the end, you mean," Tridyx scoffed. "Since you've been so insolent during this whole exchange, I believe you'll be the first one to die!"  
  
Before Uranus could retort, a blazing ball of black energy from Tridyx's hand came rocketing down toward her. The Outer Soldier leader managed to bound into the air just in time to avoid being engulfed in an explosion that collapsed the roof of the building almost immediately.  
  
"Not bad..."  
  
Haruka gasped in surprise. The voice of Tridyx was coming from behind her! How had he managed to slip around her so fast?! There was no time to wonder now, as Sailor Uranus barely managed to recover in time to dodge what would've been a crushing uppercut. Taking advantage of the miss, Uranus slammed her two fists into the gut of Tridyx as hard as she could, volts of gold energy emitting from the impact. The effort, though containing a large enough amount of power, barely even dented the solid black armor of Tridyx. Instead, Uranus found herself staring up at the gloating mug of the alien warrior, not able to get clear from his range in her current position.  
  
"Now that didn't hurt all," He shook his head. "But I can assure you, this will!"  
  
But as Tridyx was about to bring another energized thrust down onto the stunned Uranus, Haruka saw a slim figure flying in from the left. Before the monster even noticed, a roundhouse kick cracked Tridyx across the side of his jaw. Spittle and a trail of blood flew from the alien's mouth as the impact sent him soaring backward into another wall.  
  
Haruka looked up and saw Sailor Neptune staring in the direction of the crash. Though seemingly satisfied at her desperation move, great strain was on her face, and Uranus could see that she could barely keep herself afloat - the kick must've used up a great portion of her remaining energy. But the Sailor Soldier of the planet Neptune did manage to flash Haruka a small smile. The tan-haired soldier nodded gratefully with a small blush and a tender smile of her own. But as Michiru began to falter in mid-flight with a twinge of pain on her face, Haruka was immediately there to catch her and support her weight in the air.  
  
"Today's fighting has taken much more out of you than you let on," Haruka scolded Michiru as she wiped away some sweat from the injured soldier's forehead. "Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"Don't worry about me," She shook her head as she tried in vain to stay afloat on her own power. "I've got enough energy left to--"  
  
Something suddenly exploded out of the demolished wall, and Uranus began powering up again as Tridyx sped through the air and halted several yards in front of them. The arrogance had vanished since Neptune's surprise attack, and an iron glare now dominated his visage along with a small trail of blood leaking out of his mouth. That was a bit of a relief - at least the behemoth bled, and if something bled, it was capable of being killed.  
  
"It wasn't a smart move to enrage me by ambushing me like that," He spat some of the red fluid down onto the ground below. On second thought, I think I'll kill your lovely friend here before I do away with you!"  
  
"I'll never let you touch her!" Uranus felt a second wind kicking in as she shielded her weakened counterpart, determined to keep the demon from harming Michiru.  
  
"And neither will we!" The familiar voice of Makoto Kino rung in from behind, and Uranus whirled around to see Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus, and Sailor ChibiMoon floating slightly behind her, all of them ready and eager to battle.   
  
"I thought I told you guys that we could handle this!" Haruka said to ChibiUsa with slight annoyance. The small girl could be as stubborn as her mother at times could, and she usually picked the worst times to show the trait. "Get out of here and let us finish our fight!"  
  
"This isn't just your fight, Haruka," ChibiMoon replied with an unusual stern tone, something that Haruka had never heard from the young princess before. "We all have a planet to fight for, and we can only win against these guys as a team!"  
  
Haruka smiled at the princess's support despite the show of recklessness, but with the nonchalant chuckle from Tridyx, she knew that her mind once again had to return to the task at hand.  
  
"So, the little flies attack in a swarm?" Tridyx arched an eyebrow with curiosity. "Then come at me so I can swat all of you at once!"  
  
"Fiend..." Sailor Jupiter clenched her teeth as she gathered her power. Unlike the depleted reserves of Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn, the three remaining Inner Soldiers still had much left to give, and they planned to exhaust everything until Tridyx and his two wily cohorts were destroyed. "...This is for Ami and Rei!"  
  
Jupiter, Venus, and ChibiMoon shot past Uranus, all of them heading straight for the hulking monster. All three Soldiers began a vehement assault on Tridyx, each using a barrage of energized punches and kicks from all sides. But in spite of it all, Uranus couldn't tell if the combined attack was even touching Tridyx.  
  
As much as Haruka wanted to help, she had other concerns on her mind at the moment, namely the wounded Sailor Neptune. She flew away a good distance from the fighting and lowered her injured mate onto one of the undamaged rooftops and rested her body against the edge of the roof away from the fighting. Before she could leave to join the Inner Soldiers, though, she felt Michiru latch her hand onto her ankle.  
  
"Wait...!" She rasped slightly. Haruka could tell that her she was struggling to stay steady with her voice. If her last kick was enough to catapult a powerful being like Tridyx through a wall, it must've contained almost all of her remaining energy. The previous fights in the day hadn't helped matters either - even on their journey back to the capital, Haruka could sense Michiru's fatigue. Strong as the princess of Neptune was, this level of extended combat seemed to be more than she could deal with, but she seemed determined not to give up. "I can still fight...just help me up and I'll be--"  
  
"No," Uranus firmly shook her head. "You've already spent too much power. Any more fighting could lead to something worse, and you know it!"  
  
"Haruka..."  
  
"I said no!" She pulled back suddenly, finding herself shouting at her beloved friend. "Michiru, you can recuperate quickly. Just rest here for a while, I can handle things with the Inners until you heal. Besides...I think something else is at work here as well."  
  
"Are you talking about those faint energies we sensed before we got here?" Neptune arched an eyebrow.  
  
"I know it sounds like paranoia, but these aliens haven't mentioned anything about any incoming allies, so I'm beginning to wonder if some other unknown force is upon us."  
  
"It might have something to do with Setsuna's abrupt disappearance..." Neptune pondered. "What should we do? It's not like we can spare anybody to go and check it out."  
  
"True..." Uranus glanced over toward the distant horizon, her eager senses falling upon the same mysterious energy that she'd been feeling for quite some time. She couldn't pinpoint who or what is was or where it was coming from, but she didn't trust it. Too many unexpected surprises had been occurring lately to overlook such an abnormality. "But there are more pressing matters to deal with at present. Please, Michiru, for your sake, stay here and rest...please..."  
  
Haruka brushed some hair out of Michiru's face, and the water soldier responded with a pleasant and gratifying smile. "If you insist..." She nodded. She took hold of Haruka's hand for a moment. "Don't die on me, Haruka, do you promise?"  
  
"I haven't disappointed you yet, have I?" She winked back at her one last time before bounding back into the air, trying to concentrate her power like before to keep her body suspended on the air. It was difficult, but a useful art nonetheless. She sped back toward the group with renewed vigor. After everything they'd been through, she wasn't about to let Michiru down.  
  
***  
  
Close hand combat isn't my forte...What was I thinking??  
  
Sailor ChibiMoon was finding that out the hard way. While Venus and Jupiter were holding their own against the maniacal Tridyx, she had barely managed to get off any moves - she'd been too busy trying to dodge the demon's unrelenting counter-assault.  
  
"What's the matter, Sailors?" Tridyx mocked them as he deftly maneuvered in and out of the Sailor Soldiers' combined attack. "You're looking slower with every punch! I hope the fun's not wearing you down!"  
  
"I'm just getting started..." Jupiter suddenly exploded with power as a quick jab caught Tridyx in the jaw, sending volts of electricity crackling across his face. Sailor Venus seized the opportunity and dropkicked the monster in the stomach, forcing him backward and knocking the wind out of him.  
  
"Now!" Jupiter gave a quick nod to Venus. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!"  
  
"Venus Crescent Beam Shower!"  
  
Both Sailors pressed their hands against the stunned giant's stomach and their respective attacks exploded against his armor, cracking the stomach section and sending Tridyx spiraling downward through the air.  
  
"Now to finish you off..." Sailor Venus took charge, speeding downward after Tridyx. "Venus Love-Me Chain!"  
  
A golden chain of hearts shot from Venus's wrist and looped downward, catching up with the plummeting titan and was nearly a few inches away from his mammoth chest when Tridyx stabilized his fall.  
  
"What's this?!" He spotted Sailor Venus's trump card attack and extended his arms. "Never!!"  
  
A sudden void of purple energy shot forth from Tridyx's palms, freezing the Love Chain in dead flight and surrounding it with a turbulent force. The chain's sparkling gold color faded into black as the negative field soaked itself into it like water in a sponge.  
  
"What did he just do?" Venus gasped as she witnessed the sudden surprise move by their foe.   
  
The answer came rather quickly, and ChibiMoon's eyes went wide as - with a motion of his hand - Tridyx sent the chain shooting back toward the trio!  
  
"I..it can't be...!!" Venus's shock seized control of her reflexes for a split second, and by the time she attempted to dodge the incoming attack, her own chain slammed into her gut and wrapped itself around her, pinning her arms to her sides.  
  
"Minako!" ChibiMoon gasped, but she couldn't stay too shocked for long as she spotted another possessed Love Chain materializing on Tridyx's palm and spiraling toward her and Jupiter.  
  
"Look out, ChibiUsa!!" The princess felt the hard shoulder of Makoto slam into her from the left, and her small body flew off to the side out of danger. By the time ChibiMoon managed to regain her position in the air, she was horrified to see that the second demon chain had seized Makoto.  
  
"I see you're impressed by this little trick, princess," Tridyx chuckled as Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus struggled futilely to escape the grasp of the chains. "My friend Zebus taught it to me. It allows me to seize control of any energy attack and manipulate it as if it were my own, as your two friends have just discovered."  
  
"Let them go, monster slime!" ChibiMoon angrily retorted as her scepter materialized in her hand. "Don't worry guys, I'll get you out of there! Pink Sugar Heart Attack!!"  
  
Though the energy for the attack was hastily gathered, the results fared much better than before, producing a stream of hollow pink hearts that struck Makoto's black chain dead on. Much to ChibiMoon's dismay, the attempt was in vain, as the chain retained its tight hold on Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"Nice try, but now its time for them to pay the penalty for your weakness!" Tridyx's charged some more power in his hands and released a titanic electrical current along each of the two chains, electrocuting both of the immobilized Sailor Soldiers.  
  
"No!!" ChibiMoon cried as Makoto and Minako screamed out in agony. They wouldn't be able to take such punishment for too long, and if ChibiMoon couldn't destroy the chains, she'd have to take out the source. "Leave my friends alone!!"  
  
She bolted down toward the cocky giant with her scepter gripped tightly in her hands. Even if she couldn't damage the titan, she might've been able to break his hold on the chains. But suddenly, as she was inches away from striking the monster, a sudden gauntlet-hardened backhand from Tridyx slammed the small child in the jaw.  
  
The last sound that echoed through ChibiUsa's head before blacking out was the ominous laughter of Tridyx drowning out the tortured screams of Makoto and Minako.  
  
***  
  
Sailor Saturn watched with dismay as her best friend's head was nearly taken off by the monstrous Tridyx. The small form of ChibiUsa went sailing through the air and crashed into the ground at high speed, leaving a small crater on the black pavement.  
  
ChibiUsa...  
  
As the young Sailor Soldier stared mutely at the fallen form of her friend, the weakness that she had been feeling after expunging so much of her remaining energy suddenly faded into nothingness. Instead, it was replaced by more emotions: anger, determination, and pure adrenaline. The demon had gone too far in his ruthless and cocky assault - he'd laid a hand on her princess and best friend, sending her into the perilous void of unconsciousness with one shattering blow. And as Sailor Saturn's gaze into the heart and eyes of the madman solidified, one goal became clear: she wasn't going to kill him - she was going to erase him from the universe.  
  
But what to do first...  
  
The crushing backhand from Tridyx could've done scores of damage to ChibiUsa - even with her energized state, she hadn't even been ready to defend against the cheap shot from Tridyx, and the fall couldn't have helped matters at all either. But Makoto and Minako were caught in the monster's grasp, and the amount of electricity coursing through the chains and into their bodies left little chance for survival if she went to heal ChibiUsa first. She froze in spot, unable to decide which of her friends to save first.  
  
Hotaru...  
  
"Makoto??" Saturn stared up into the air at the struggling Sailor Jupiter, who - along with her counterpart - was trying desperately to free herself and stay alive at the same time. Somehow, through her efforts, she had been able to sense her fear and indecision. "Hold on, I'll be there in a second to save you!"  
  
No! Don't get near here, or he may capture you too!  
  
Saturn didn't know how to respond. "But Makoto...you'll..."  
  
We can hang on like this for a bit longer, trust me. He hasn't noticed you yet, so get to ChibiUsa and help her first! If she dies, then any efforts we may make after the fact would be worthless anyway!  
  
Please, Hotaru... Minako's voice rang through the young Outer's head. Makoto's right, you have to help ChibiUsa! We can fight back against this monster, but she may not last. Please, hurry!  
  
"...All right, but I'll be right up there to help you after she is healed! Please, hang on!"  
  
Saturn rushed over toward the crater where ChibiUsa laid unconscious. A bit of tension passed as Hotaru was still able to sense a semi-healthy power signal radiating from her. She was very much alive, albeit a shock to the system as well as a bruised jaw.  
  
Don't worry, ChibiUsa, you'll be okay...  
  
Sailor Saturn focused her power, sending out a golden glow that radiated all over ChibiUsa's body, repairing the injury. Though every second sapped Hotaru's body of more power, she smiled gratefully as she felt the lost strength returning to her best friend's body.  
  
Good, one immediate crisis resolved. Although it may take a bit before her senses return...  
  
Saturn didn't want to take any chances, and she quickly took up her glaive, storing energy in it and raising it above her head.  
  
"Silence Wall..." A brilliant field of purple energy streaked out from the tip of the glaive and surrounded the small princess. "Please protect my friend from the evil lurking close at hand."  
  
Turning back to the other crisis at hand, Saturn was a little more than surprised to find Tridyx staring down at her with Makoto and Minako still trapped in the possessed love chains.   
  
"Ah, that's quite a little trick," He admired as he stared down at Hotaru's handiwork. "The ability to heal and the power to cast a protective force field of considerable power. You certainly have succeeded in preserving your princess for the time being, little girl."  
  
Saturn's grip tightened on her glaive as Tridyx manipulated the chains to pull Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus in front of him. The flow of energy into their bodies had ceased for the moment, but from the burns and exhaustion on both of their bodies, Saturn knew that they were barely hanging on to their lives. They must've been too weak for telepathy now - they could barely focus their eyes on one spot.  
  
"Of course, choices of who shall live and who shall die always have drawbacks," He snickered with a portentous glint in his coal-black eyes. "Now, watch as your friends perish before your very eyes!"  
  
"No!!" Saturn immediately concentrated power through her glaive. "Silence Glaive--"  
  
"I wouldn't advise that, young one," Tridyx took hold of Makoto's chain, thrusting her in the path of Saturn's potentially lethal attack. "I've had enough surprises out of you Sailor Soldiers for one day. I won't have my fantastic show ruined by your unexpected ambushes! Of course, you can always sacrifice one to save the other. What's it going to be, little girl? Will it be one friend's life lost and some damage to me, or a one-way ticket to Hell for both of them?"  
  
Hotaru froze in her energy charge as she spotted the weakened form of Sailor Jupiter floating between her and the cowardly monster. Still, despite the chicken-hearted tactic, she couldn't bring herself to risk killing Makoto in what possibly could've been an ineffective attack. Despite every bit of wisdom that Haruka always gave her on the importance of the mission, she couldn't bring herself to sacrifice one of her friends. Slowly but shakily, she lowered the glaive.  
  
"So, emotion gets the best of the fighting spirit..." Tridyx mocked her indecisiveness as he clenched onto both black chains. "Now you'll pay for your soft heart with the blood of your friends!"  
  
Before Saturn could re-energize, Tridyx whipped his arms out to the side, throwing the two captives into the sides of two nearby buildings. The impact shattered small portions of the material as both Makoto and Minako had punched through at maximum speed.  
  
"No...!" Saturn clenched her jaw in frustration - even if she could power up an attack without the gargantuan detecting her, he could easily shield himself from it with the prone bodies of Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus. She wasn't willing to take such a risk, but such reluctance was eating away at her - either way, the result would be the same.  
  
Her reflexes frozen, Saturn could only watch as Tridyx began toying with Jupiter and Venus, whipping them through solid walls and slamming them upon the ground with the possessed chains, laughing with each of the jarring, bone-crushing blows. He was practically as delighted as a small child as he marveled his chaotic work. The sinister incarnation of wonder in his eyes seemed to grow with every agonizing scream from the captive Sailor Soldiers.   
  
Hotaru bit back her on her tongue, not able to bear the dismantling of her friends by the insane monster. With every crash and every hit, Hotaru felt her share of the pain - she'd never felt this helpless before, unable to do anything but watch her friends be slaughtered.  
  
"Say good-bye to your comrades, brat, because I've just made them a date with the Great Beyond!" Tridyx called out from high in the air. "Now, die!!!"  
  
The behemoth whipped the two chains hard, dislodging both ends from his palms and hurdling the Sailor Soldiers high into the air. Before Saturn could react to the sudden move, she felt herself bracing against the pavement as enormous energy swelled up within Tridyx's titanic body. Gazing up, she had to shield her eyes as black energy swirled like a typhoon around him. Tridyx cupped his hands together and held them out in front of his body. With a crazed cackle, the black mist was sucked into his center of his palms like a vacuum, and as the substance conflicted with Tridyx's own internal power, a huge energy beam in a violent purple color exploded from the demon's hands, speeding at tremendous velocity toward the airborne targets, who looked like they had no energy left to offer.  
  
"No!! I won't let..." Saturn attempted to fight the huge windstorm that the beam had kicked up around her, but she couldn't find the strength to brace herself long enough to gather enough power for a counterattack.  
  
Hotaru... Makoto's voice whispered to her through the cyclone. Take care of yourself, kid. Please don't let yourself or ChibiUsa die...  
  
Remember us, Hotaru... Minako's voice echoed through the other side of her head. We'll see you on the other side...goodbye...  
  
"Makoto, Minako!" Saturn called out to the whispers, but they both faded, evading her voice as the beam's screeching sound as well as Tridyx's maniacal laughter swallowed them. "Wait!!! Please...!!"  
  
With tears leaking out of her eyes, Hotaru didn't bother scattering as the beam grew closer to its targets. On the contrary, she suddenly found herself chasing it - desperately trying to beat the beam to her wounded friends and pull them to safety. However, such was not so, and the beam impacted Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus with an awesome force, throwing Hotaru back through the air and onto the ground, her back striking the cold pavement with a dull thud.   
She may have lost consciousness for a moment from the rough landing - the beam's screeching volume and the force of the explosion still rang through her skull. But after she had picked herself up, the aftermath was all she needed to see. On the ground a few hundred yards away, Sailor Saturn spotted two silent, dormant figures. She could sense no life force from them. She wiped a small tear away from her cheek as she stared at the devastation - on the list of brave souls who had gone out fighting the horrible aliens, two more entries had just been added. Makoto and Minako wouldn't have wanted it any other way.  
  
***  
  
"What do suppose that was...?" Krillin squinted out over the land in the direction of what appeared to be tremendous eruption of pure ki energy. If he focused correctly, he could make out a small dome of purple energy forming on the edge of the horizon. "Could it have been...?"  
  
A horrifying realization occurred to him: for the past ten minutes - thanks to his keen sense - he'd been able to detect seven pure kis several dozen miles off in the distance. Now, as the huge impact of the ki blast began to dissipate, Krillin's worst fears had been confirmed: two of the kis had vanished along with the blast.   
  
"Oh, no!" Yamcha echoed the sentiment, clenching his fists angrily. "We're too late! The fighting's already started, and it's in full swing!!"  
  
"And at least two of them are dead..." Tenshinhan lowered his head in reverence.  
  
Krillin looked ahead to see Gohan grinding his teeth and clenching both of his small fists as well. A small field of white ki energy was lazing around his body. He slowly floated up to his companion and put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Gohan, relax. We don't know if those are the Sailor Soldiers or some other warrior with a pure ki," He tried to calm his partner down, but was having no apparent success, which started to make him worry a little bit. He knew how explosive Gohan could get when he was angry, especially if it was over loss of life. "Despite what's going on, we're still in the enemy's detection range: we have to stick to the plan!"  
  
"Krillin, don't you get it, do you?!" Gohan snapped at him. "While we're here worrying about planning things out, those princesses are dying! Forget the plan, we can't let any more of them be killed!"  
  
"Calm yourself, brat," Vegeta's smooth voice cut into Gohan's rant. "If there's one thing your young mind can't understand, it's the concept of war. Those Sailor Soldiers know full well what they were getting themselves into when they challenged these aliens - it's their own fault that they can't stand up to a fight!"  
  
For a moment, Gohan did nothing except fume some more - Vegeta certainly wasn't the best at consolation, although telling his version of the truth was something that suited him best.  
  
"Gohan, enough, we have to--"  
  
Suddenly, a raging scream erupted from the Saiyan hybrid's lungs, throwing Krillin back as more energy enveloped Gohan's body. "I can't take it anymore!!"  
  
Before anybody realized what had happened, Gohan had launched away from his position in the air and was streaking at full speed toward the battle. Krillin's stomach began to churn - Gohan could always be reckless when it came to life-and-death situations, and this time it was no exception. The little Saiyan had lost it, all right, and his emotional tempest was about to lead him to his grave.  
  
"Gohan!! Get back here, now!!" Piccolo bellowed in anger at the fiery child. It was far too late, however - Gohan was making fantastic across the land. Even if he could hear Piccolo's reprimand, he wouldn't have stopped anyway. "That blasted kid..."  
  
"So much for your brilliant plan," Vegeta scoffed. "The brat's little temper tantrum just attracted some company."  
  
Krillin stared back in the opposite direction and his senses fell on several smaller approaching powers - more than likely, they were more of the weaker alien soldiers that Vegeta had disposed of earlier. Though they could've been easily beaten, the fact that they had detected them was more than enough to utterly ruin Piccolo's plan.  
  
"Damn..." Piccolo cursed under his breath. "All right, we can't just leave Gohan to rush into the arms of the enemy and get himself slaughtered. I'll go ahead to the battlefield with him while the rest of you take care of these other warriors."  
  
"But Piccolo, do you think you and Gohan can even handle that kind of power ?" Krillin objected. "The force of that power beam was radical - these guys definitely aren't amateurs when it comes to fighting."  
  
"You call that power?" Piccolo smirked, revealing a pair of sharp white fangs. "That wasn't even close to what I'm capable of performing, and it certainly doesn't compare to what Gohan could do as well. We can handle ourselves without problems. Besides...you're going to be coming along for support."  
  
"What?!" Krillin gasped, not expecting to be chosen as Piccolo's running mate for their pursuit.   
  
"You've got the senzu beans, don't you? Well, you're going to be the extra hand we need to hand them out to any of the injured we may find."  
  
"Good plan!" Chaozu nodded. "We'll stay back and hold these other goons off until we can catch up. Be careful!"  
  
Piccolo and Krillin gathered their power and shot off after Gohan. They wouldn't be able to catch up to him at the speed he was going as well as the head-start, but they would hopefully be there in time to back up Gohan and anyone else who happened to be there fighting against the aliens.  
  
Gohan, your power and emotion never ceases to amaze me, kid. But this time, you may have gone too far...  
  
***  
  
"Two more down, and with only ten minutes to spare. I'm running a little slow today," Tridyx shook his head in disgust with himself. Sailor Saturn, her mourning put aside for the time being, turned back toward the fiendish ogre with more rage than she'd ever felt before. Here they were fighting for their planet's life with every ounce of energy they had, and Tridyx regarded their lives with no respect at all - he was practically toying with them, throwing them around like rag dolls. Saturn's angered glare didn't cease, even as Tridyx's black eyes connected with hers.  
  
"Makoto...Minako..." Hotaru was so consumed with rage that even simple words were hard to form. "How dare you...they sacrificed themselves to keep me and my princess safe...you have no right to steal such pure souls away from this world!!"  
  
"There's no protection for anybody in war, little one," Tridyx folded his arms and smiled smugly at her. "But I am not a man without compassion. Since I value your love for our friends, I'll be more than happy to send you on your way to join them!"  
  
"What would you know of love?" A soft but iron voice retorted from a short distance away, prompting the muscular giant to turn his head in slight surprise. "All you have been bred with is war, destruction, and greed. No concept of love can possibly exist in whatever black heart you have!"  
  
Sailor Saturn gazed behind Tridyx and spotted a slim figure standing tall on one the remaining structures. Hotaru's eyes brightened as she recognized the garnet-tipped staff and flowing, green-shaded hair.  
  
"Setsuna-mama!!" She called out to her. "Thank goodness you're okay, where have you been?"  
  
"I've had some business to take care of, child, but I am now here on behalf of my planet," The soldier of time gently answered. "Hotaru, you have fought well, I see. I am very proud of you."  
  
"Thank you..." Saturn smiled back at her mentor. "But it wasn't good enough...Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako...they've been..."  
  
"I know..." Sailor Pluto saved Hotaru the pain of breaking the horrible news to her. "I felt their energies vanish from the world while I was rushing here."  
  
"Heh, you don't seem too surprised that your weakling friends are all dead," Tridyx remarked. "You seem to be one of the more intelligent species of fools of the group. Taking you on should be quite enjoyable!"  
  
***  
  
Sailor Pluto was beginning to worry. She could sense the Z Warriors approaching, but they still were a bit far off from the palace. What was taking them so long? If they didn't hurry, Sailor Pluto wasn't sure how long she could hold off the raging monster before her. With Saturn at low power as well as the deaths of the Inner Soldiers, odds weren't looking in her favor at the moment.  
  
"I was wondering when you were going to appear," The familiar voice of Sailor Uranus drew Setsuna's attention. She spotted her esteemed comrade touching down on the roof. A few bruises covered her body, but she seemed to be okay, nonetheless.  
  
"Haruka, I'm glad you're safe," Setsuna nodded. "But where is Michiru? Has she been killed as well?"  
  
"No, thankfully," Haruka shook her head. "But the day's fighting as well as the combat with this monster has depleted nearly all of her energy. I took her to an abandoned section of the city so she could regain her strength. She'll be okay...for now, at least. But I have a more pressing question for you, Setsuna. Where exactly have you been for the past day? You took off after the ambush on the palace and I couldn't even sense your presence anywhere near here. Where did you go?"  
  
Setsuna's expression began to falter slightly as Haruka crossed her arms. She knew that look of suspicious sincerity on the face of the Outer Soldier - she was genuinely concerned about Setsuna's activities over the past hours, almost to the point of rigorous interrogation.  
  
"Well...you see..."  
  
She found herself stuttering and stammering, which only increased the glowering look of Sailor Uranus even more.  
  
"Well?" Haruka asked simply. "What's the matter?"  
  
Setsuna sighed in defeat. She couldn't hide it any longer - she had to tell Haruka the truth about her visit to the Z Warriors. She knew that she wouldn't be pleased at all about her actions - the last thing that Haruka would ever want would be considerably more powerful warriors entering the equation. Unless by some miracle Haruka came to trust the Z Warriors, Sailor Pluto knew that she'd never allow them to get within firing distance of the princess or the other soldiers. The fact that Setsuna had concealed this whole plan from the entire group wouldn't help much either.  
  
Oh, well...nothing more to lose than we already have...  
  
"Well, Haruka, to be honest, there's something that you need know..."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. The Courage of Sailor Pluto

Chapter 7: The Courage of Sailor Pluto  
  
"Uhhh..." ChibiUsa's vision was fuzzy and distorted as she came to her senses. That shot from Tridyx had felt like an anvil colliding with her soft jaw. She was amazed that she was even waking up at all after a blow like that. Suddenly, as her glassy eyes cleared up, she found herself surrounded in a glowing dome of purple light. It was then that she knew what had kept her alive.  
  
"Hotaru!" She called out to her friend, who was standing several feet away, gazing up at a taller skyscraper where the monstrous alien was floating.  
  
The small soldier of death turned and smiled thankfully to see that her close confidant was okay. "ChibiUsa! Thank goodness, my healing worked just in time. Hold on for a second."  
  
She raised her glaive into the air and gradually lowered it, and the force field began to fade and finally vanished as its tip touched the ground. ChibiUsa, in the midst of finding herself and Hotaru alive, rushed over and hugged her best friend briefly.  
  
"Thanks a lot, Hotaru," ChibiUsa said. "If you hadn't healed me, I don't know what could've happened."  
  
"Don't mention it," She nodded in return. "But things have taken some terrible turns since you fell unconscious..."  
  
"What do you mean?" ChibiMoon's smile faded as Saturn's face turned solemn. Then, the soldier of death motioned over to a freshly obliterated area several meters away, and ChibiMoon's small heart suddenly collapsed at what she saw - the scorched corpses of Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus were laying in the rubble, the possessed love chains still around them. Not one breath was coming from their lungs. "Oh, no.........How did it happen?"  
  
"I'm sorry, ChibiUsa, I couldn't do anything without endangering their lives. Believe me, if I could've given my life to save theirs, I would have. They were so intent on keeping you safe though...they told me not to interfere until you were healed and protected inside the Silence Wall...By then it was too late..."  
  
ChibiMoon said nothing for a moment, and she lowered her head and clutched her fists, trying not to let tears seep out. Even after her healing and re-awakening, she felt as if parts of her still remained in that void between dead and alive. She hadn't been there to protect her guardians...and her friends...She hadn't even been there to say good-bye to them as they passed into the Great Beyond.  
  
"Why..." She muttered to herself as she dropped to her knees. A few drops leaked from her eyes and onto the dry ground as she clutched with rage at the small piles of dirt covering the pavement. "...Mommy, why is this happening to us...we've been through too much to suffer like this......"  
  
She felt Hotaru's comforting hand on her shoulder and looked up at her best friend with an empty face, one that was searching for answers to those disparaging questions. Hotaru extended her arms and offered ChibiUsa a comforting and consoling embrace, which the disheartened princess was more than willing to accept.  
  
ChibiUsa then took notice of the floating Tridyx, who had apparently disregarded both of them and was facing toward one of the intact buildings.  
  
"How have you managed to stay alive since Makoto and Minako were killed? You were the only one left," She wondered as she eyed the monster with suspicion. He wasn't just floating around leisurely - he was eyeing something with a heightened sense of caution, more than he had shown throughout the entire ordeal.   
  
"Setsuna-mama came back to help us!" Sailor Saturn replied. "She's up on the roof with Haruka-papa, and they're both ready to fight that demon together!"  
  
"Sailor Pluto's here?!" ChibiUsa's cheeriness was boosted dramatically with that piece of good news. She'd been worried about her mentor ever since she'd disappeared after the palace ambush. She'd feared the worst for her life, but here she was now, and with Sailor Uranus by her side, perhaps they stood a chance to win against the maniacal barbarian after all - they always seemed more powerful when working as a team. "That's wonderful, thank goodness she's alive...but why aren't they attacking yet? And why is that monster waiting so long?"  
  
"I think they're talking about something up there..." Saturn squinted to see over the top of the building, but it was difficult to make out anything with the amount of darkness in the air. "But we'll just have to wait and see what happens. We may or may not have to help out depending on what Setsuna may tell us."  
  
"In any case, I'm more than ready..." ChibiUsa steadied herself, trying to recharge her energy that was lost when she was knocked out. "And if I get my shot, this fiend's going to wish he had never laid a hand on my friends!"  
***  
  
"You WHAT??!!" Pluto felt her stomach begin to cave in as Haruka's inquisitive gaze suddenly exploded into an infuriated glare. She didn't expect the obstinate Sailor Soldier's views on outside interference to change with the introduction of the Z Warriors into the war despite the dismal situation, and her instincts had proved her right yet again.  
  
Nevertheless, Sailor Pluto tried to deal with Sailor Uranus's anger calmly, which was another war in itself.  
  
"Haruka, please let me explain--"  
  
"Explain what?! Setsuna, after everything we've been through, how could you do something like this, especially with your knowledge?!" She shouted at her. "From what you say, these guys are as strong as the monsters we're battling now, and who knows what they'll do now that they're here! You've endangered us even more than we already are by telling such powerful strangers of Earth's past about us and this war!"  
  
"Haruka, you're over exaggerating what I'm trying to--"  
  
"Over exaggerating?!" Haruka's tempest of a tantrum was far from over, and Sailor Pluto found herself absorbing every last bit of it like a small child being scolded by a parent. She didn't like the sickening taste that was creeping into her mouth either - the last thing they needed right now was the disintegration of their trust in each other. "Things weren't complicated enough with these powerful warriors attacking us, and now you bring in total strangers that could easily turn on us! Setsuna...you've betrayed us...how could you..."  
  
"Haruka, stop it!" Sailor Pluto finally brought herself to raise her voice to her longtime friend as the berating began to escalate. "Do you think that these considerations didn't run through my mind when I was devising this plan? I knew you and the others would react this way, and that was one reason the queen and I didn't mention it to any of you."  
  
Haruka - who had turned her head away in anger and disgust a few moments ago - whirled it back in Setsuna's direction with surprise playing across her face. "The queen knew...?"  
  
"It was her idea all along. She discovered the existence of such warriors while researching the Old Era. They helped to defend the Earth long before we ever existed, and they've had their fair share of demons as evil as the ones we've fought. I was entrusted with the task of bringing these warriors to the future so they could help us battle these demons. With the help of two of our Special Forces members, we managed to send a temporal probe back to their era, where a message from the queen informed them of the situation."  
  
Sailor Uranus arched an eyebrow. "And how do you know that they received the message? Earth is a vast place, and even our most sophisticated temporal probes can't track an intended receiver."  
  
"It's quite simple," Setsuna continued, watching Haruka's wonder and resentment increase with every word. "I have a longtime friend that is living during that era. He happens to be the mentor of these Z Warriors. He promised me that he would help them reach here once they got our distress call. He also assured me that they could be trusted to help us once they arrive. But we knew better than to tell any of you it. Besides your obvious resentment to the plan, even I had my own doubts, and I didn't want to get any of   
your hopes up."  
  
Sailor Uranus was incredulous at first, pacing around the rooftop with bitterness obviously swelling up in her chest. After a few moments, she shook her head as the realization sunk in.   
  
"I should've guessed that the queen was somehow involved in this," She admitted with her hands clasped behind her head. "She's always been so incredibly naive when it came to dealings with unknown forces, even if they had potential to seal our fate like these 'Z Warriors.' Though I never would've expected you to go along with such a scheme, Setsuna, especially with the danger someone like you could foresee in a foolhardy plan like this one."  
  
"Haruka, as much as it may hurt your pride, we were choice less," She argued with a slight shake of her head. "Even you have to admit that with the losses we've sustained and the failure of the energy shield, we were on our last legs. You've witnessed the deaths of four of our beloved friends - and four of the most powerful fighters on the planet - at the hands of one of their lesser commanders, haven't you?"  
  
Sailor Uranus was silent for a moment, prompting Sailor Pluto to continue.  
  
"Haruka, you know that I feel the same way about assistance from foreign warriors as you do, and until now, I've felt confident that we could beat back these monsters with our power alone. But after witnessing the deaths of so many of our friends and the failure of our protective energy shield, I had to admit to myself that such a possibility no longer existed. Despite going against our views on accepting outside help, I knew that if I did not, I would be failing my first duty as a Sailor Soldier and guardian of time: to protect and preserve life on this beautiful planet. That's why I decided on accepting help from the Z Warriors. Please understand, Haruka..."   
  
Sailor Uranus didn't respond, much to Setsuna's expectations given her knowledge of the Outer leader's pride. Instead, Haruka just walked toward the edge of the building, where the monstrous alien assassin was sizing up the newest challenge with peaked interest. His smug grin was almost more than Setsuna could bear.  
  
"...When this is all over, we'll deal with this issue in private. And if your 'saviors' show up, I'll fight with them since my queen has faith in them, however misguided her assumptions may be. But until this is resolved, I'll fight alongside you for the sake of this planet only. Don't expect me to assist someone who would risk the existence of our world on a whim."  
  
Setsuna couldn't say that she wasn't expecting that kind of response - when Haruka got angry, especially about the level of the playing field, she really let all of her rage flow out like a waterfall, and judging from the stern look of iron in her noble eyes, Setsuna knew that she had spoken one hundred percent true when she had practically said that Sailor Pluto was expendable. Aside from Michiru and Hotaru, Haruka cared for the planet and the queen more than anything else, and for someone of Sailor Pluto's dedication to the planet and protecting its people to invite unknowns into the equation was on the same grounds as treason in Haruka's mind. Setsuna figured that the only reason that Haruka hadn't attacked her was the fact that the queen had played a hand in the plan from the beginning. She only wished that the headstrong Outer Soldier could understand that her intentions were pure and not misguided...  
  
"Excuse me," The monstrous behemoth chimed in as both Outer Soldiers approached the edge of the rooftop. "I'm sorry to interrupt a spirited conversation, ladies, but I've still got a busy schedule ahead of me. I can't be wasting my time floating here while you two pixies discuss a futile strategy."  
  
"I'm afraid you're taking our powers more lightly than you should be," Despite the alien's constant taunting, Sailor Pluto's voice maintained a calm and even ominous whisper. However, the fact that the alien titan wasn't fighting alone didn't help improve her confidence: two more aliens - one of them a large humanoid insect and the other a slender, magma-skinned female with an inferno blazing in her narrow eyes - were floating up to a nearby rooftop from their previous positions on the ground to get a closer look at the new participant in the fight. She saw the female mutter something to the insectoid, and Setsuna suddenly felt her caution rise a notch as she noticed the bug-like monster nod in response.   
  
Finding her attention drifting away from the present situation, Sailor Pluto returned her gaze to the current threat. "We're not like the other Sailor Soldiers you've done battle with: protecting this planet is foremost above everything else, and trust me when I say that we can attain new heights of power when backed against a wall."  
  
"Heh, I don't doubt it," The titan snorted as he clicked the black-tinted eyepiece on his left eye. With her slit-eyed gaze, Sailor Pluto could make up several digits blipping across the visor, although it was in a language unknown to her. The report had obviously given the alien commander something to think about, as his large eyes grew a bit wide in amused astonishment. "Ah, how interesting. You're the strongest out of all of the Sailor Soldiers that I've dealt with today, congratulations. You will be an interesting one to play with, although I can't say the same for your tenacious friend - I've already dealt with the extent of her power in previous rounds, and she is of no consequence to this fight."  
  
"Don't be so sure of yourself, Tridyx..." Haruka cupped her hands together, and in a flash of gold light, a jeweled scimitar sparkling with Sailor Uranus's familiar aura appeared from the light, encased in a thin bubble. The princess of Uranus penetrated the layer of fluid and gripped the pearl white handle of the elegant blade and pointed its razor sharp blade at the intrigued Tridyx. "Our powers and tricks run much deeper than you may think. It'll take more than one shot to kill us!"  
  
Sailor Pluto clutched the garnet staff and primed it with her energy. "You've come to this beautiful planet and cursed it with your powers of death and chaos. This world is a place where love and peace should bloom, and we won't let you take it away for your own greed!"  
  
"Love? Peace? Hah!" Tridyx laughed aloud as he uncrossed his arms and floated a little bit closer to the two poised Sailor Soldiers. The chilly night wind began to pick up, blowing the bristles of his thin mustache across his wide upper lip. "I don't know what in the world you two are preaching about, but such concepts are meaningless where I come from."  
  
Pluto drew back slightly as the alien closed the distance, still as nonchalant as before.   
  
"You Earthlings are so naive and innocent," Tridyx chuckled. "On this private utopia away from the mainstream galaxy, you've managed to live danger-free with those foolish idealisms. Allow me to be the first one to bring you up to speed on the current state of the universe."  
  
Sailor Pluto listened as the alien spoke - and she saw Haruka lowering her Space Sword slightly in her own sense of cautious attention.   
  
"You see, where I come from are the core planets of the universe. Dynasty-status industries and the most elite armies ever molded dominate those worlds. Behind these huge empires are the most powerful and intelligent beings ever spawned into this reality. Power and the prospect of gaining more of it are the new driving motivations in the universe, and conquest is the ultimate aspiration in life for people like my associates and me. The weak and pathetic are dominated by the strong and ambitious, just as the evolution of our common universe dictated during its conception. You, Sailor Soldiers, are relics of a long-forgotten past where chivalry and honor were actually worth something to a warrior's soul. It's those qualities that make you the weak fighters that you are."  
  
"From the tainted disgusting filth your soul possesses, I feel sorry for the people out on those planets trying to survive under your twisted minds," Uranus fired back.  
  
"Heh, such aggression," Tridyx continued. "You're probably the closest one of the bunch to what we are in terms of fighting passion, though you fight for the wrong goals and reasons. Such petty frailties like 'love' and 'peace' mean absolutely nothing in this modern universe! Planets such as this one can be traded or destroyed at the swift movement of a hand. Fighting for such obsolete concepts on the behalf of one frail rock is a waste of material, just like this puny planet is."  
  
"Shut up!" Sailor Uranus's temper was about to rupture from the waves of energy that Sailor Pluto could sense pulsing from her body. "I've had about enough of your mouth!"  
  
Before Sailor Pluto could react, Sailor Uranus sprung from her defensive stance, sailing forward with her Space Sword pulled back and ready to slash at the poised alien, who seemed none too impressed by her rage filled valor.  
  
"You never give up, do you?" He shook his head disdainfully. "But I like your tenacity - it can be appreciated even more when other challenges are so few and far between."  
  
Uranus shrugged off the alien's taunting, her skin tightening and her arms tensing as she utilized all of her physical power to bring the jeweled sword down with a tremendous arcing swing aimed at the center of the demon's skull. The saber left gold energy after-images as it descended upon the monster with incredible velocity.  
  
"Haruka, look out!" Pluto called out from the ledge. Though Sailor Uranus's vengeful swing seemed virtually impossible to dodge from the current position that the commander was in, the crafty alien somehow managed to sidestep it, much of the energy used in the swing instead flowing out of the blade as it came down at the bottom of its arc and bouncing harmlessly off of Tridyx's shoulder.  
  
"Ah..." Tridyx smirked as he outstretched his limbs, basking in the volatile energy discharge as if he was bathing in sunlight. "It feels so warm...quite refreshing after this brisk evening."  
  
Sailor Uranus responded by clenching her teeth and quickly generating more of her energy into the sword.  
  
"Why, you...!" she took another swipe at Tridyx's jaw from her position, only to be frustrated by the demon again as he deftly tilted backward, the sharp blade coming dangerously close to stinging the tip of his nose.   
  
"Is that the best you've got?!" Tridyx laughed aloud as he concentrated more black energy into his armored fists.   
  
"Haruka...!!" Sailor Pluto bounded into the air, trying to use her power to stay afloat on the gusty wind and the thick smog that was still pouring out of the burning buildings. She bolted toward the dueling enemies as quick as she could - Sailor Uranus's rage had begun to take over her instincts, blinding her to the alien's furtive attempts to store more energy for a fatal blow.   
  
"Dead Scream..." the whisper was low, nearly inaudible, but the reaction caused by her staff certainly wasn't, as a misty purple storm cloud materialized around Sailor Pluto's body, adding more sparking electrical power to the shining garnet at the tip of her ornamental staff. As she gave the staff direction, the energy gathered in a sphere of light purple energy that fired like a comet toward the gigantic Tridyx.  
  
But unfortunately, the attack hadn't been able to get off in time to stop the beast from striking. He jammed an energized fist into Haruka's gut, knocking the wind of the Outer Soldier and forcing her to cough up small amounts of spittle. From the sickening crack that resulted from the strike, Setsuna knew that several of Sailor Uranus's ribs were shattered by the move. While she was stunned, Tridyx capitalized by folding his huge fists and slamming Haruka in the back like a sledgehammer, causing the wounded soldier to plummet downward and slam into the ground onto the shattered ribs.  
  
"Curses..." Sailor Pluto responded by pumping more electrical power from her to staff toward the   
whizzing energy ball, energizing it with an even greater source that was coming straight from Setsuna's emotions and heart, a power she chose not to expose too often because it revealed too much of her true strengths to her enemies. But this time, she didn't care: the planet was on the verge of destruction, and with Haruka down, their chances of surviving this battle alone were looking more dimmer by the second. Besides, nobody could hurt one of her closest friends without paying a dear price. With all the extra energy pumped into the orb, it took twice its form as it had before.  
  
The alien took notice of the power ball after watching Sailor Uranus strike the ground with a solid thud.   
  
"What's this?!" Unlike the barrage with the Space Sword, Tridyx looked almost in shock that Setsuna could generate so much energy into one sphere, something the other Sailor Soldiers could not do earlier as it seemed. "Her battle power's risen to 10000! Impossible from the reading I got earlier!!"  
  
He apparently underestimated the incoming speed of the orb as he barely managed to hold up his hands to catch the projectile, more crackling black thunder sparking across his trim, cut muscles as he expended more energy to keep the volatile orb from breaking through his defenses and utterly vaporizing him.  
  
Setsuna kept her staff trained in the direction of the Dead Scream sphere, her very life force flowing in the form of purple energy wisps into the gradually growing sphere; the build-up was definitely having some kind of an effect, as the perspiration dripping down the side of Tridyx's bald head was beginning to increase along with the strain on his face and the amount of energy he was expending.  
  
"For my queen...and my planet..." She cut her eyes into slits and bore her glower into the alien's labored expression. "I'll eradicate you!"  
  
The energy being concentrated into the orb reached its peak, and Sailor Pluto funneled one last quick burst in, causing the sphere to erupt in a terrific explosion that scattered purple light all over the battlefield and momentarily deafening Sailor Pluto as she shielded her eyes from the glaring burst of light.  
  
When the bright dazzling effect finally died down, Sailor Pluto looked back at the source of the explosion, where the smog from the blast was still coating much of the area. She lowered herself onto the building, trying to reach her senses past the interference of the explosion to lay her mind on the life force of the monster, if any was still remaining.  
  
"Setsuna-mama," Her train of thought was broken as she heard the quiet voice of Sailor Saturn chiming in behind her. Sailor Pluto looked down to see the timid young Sailor Soldier and the princess - both battered and bruised but still with child-like sparkles in their large eyes - standing next to her and gazing at the same area in awe - the energized Dead Scream had caused much more of an impact than even she had expected. The buildings that were close to the blast impact had been partially vaporized. Sailor Saturn was staring at the decimation in silent awe. "You did it! I've never seen you so enraged like you were during the attack, why didn't you ever use that kind of power before?"  
  
"Emotion can be a dangerous weapon, Hotaru," she patted the small child on the head. "As guardian of time, alone in the void for so long, my emotions have become somewhat dormant with my constant vigil, but as I began to fight alongside of Sailor Moon, I realized what kind of power those emotions contained; they somehow increased my power whenever I called them forth. Because of my...inexperience with such things, I try not to bring them out in my fighting unless it is absolutely called for."  
  
"Oh, no!" ChibiUsa dashed forward and gapped out over the concrete ledge of the rooftop and gasped at the sight below. Setsuna peered down and saw the disheveled Sailor Uranus sprawled out along the jagged remains of the street, gasping for air and clutching her ribs as she struggled to move. The internal injuries must've been worse then Pluto thought - Sailor Uranus couldn't find the strength to stand. The Space Sword was laying several feet away, and despite her injuries, Setsuna saw that Haruka was crawling toward it, even across the spiked rocks along the path.   
  
"Such devotion to keep fighting," She muttered to herself. "How stubborn can she be sometimes? Hotaru, I hate asking this after all we've been through, but--"  
  
"Yes," she nodded immediately as she took up her glaive. "I'll hurry down and heal her right away."  
  
She lifted herself into the air with her remaining spark of energy - Setsuna could tell by her shaky hovering that she was almost out of power from all the fighting she'd evidently been doing - and floated down toward her injured ally as Setsuna looked over ChibiUsa.  
  
"You seem to have survived quite well up to this point, Small Lady," she smiled as she wiped some dirt off of the princess's face. "But I'm glad to see that you've taken such a strong concern for the welfare   
of this planet. I'm very proud of you."  
  
"Thank you," she returned with a bright cheery nod. "But where were you, Puu? I was getting really worried when even I couldn't find you around the palace after the ambush."  
  
Setsuna's smile began to fade as she sighed. The enigmatic time guardian had never considered how ChibiUsa would react to her summoning of the Z Warriors into the battle. Part of Haruka - in her effort to help train ChibiUsa into a more powerful soldier - had rubbed off on the young princess in terms of trusting foreign warriors, and it had improved ChibiUsa's sense of caution to more than a few iotas of her mother, who believed that good existed in all creatures, no matter how much evil they committed or how suspicious they seemed.  
  
Still, there was really no harm in telling her about her secretive actions now - she'd find out from Haruka sooner or later, and knowing the Outer Soldier's notorious way of over-exaggerating the negative aspects of most possible threats, Setsuna would've rather told her about the Z Warriors and Kami herself.  
  
"Well, Small Lady," she began after taking in a huge gulp of air. "What I've done is--"  
  
A sudden explosion from off to the right shattered the peaceful moment, throwing Sailor Pluto and Sailor ChibiMoon backward into the air. Setsuna banged into the rigid concrete barrier of the rooftop, and the impact jarred her spine, sending shock all throughout her body and nearly sending the guardian of time into unconsciousness as her vision blurred over. As she raised her head in confusion - having lost track of ChibiMoon - she shook her head, trying to clear the fuzziness in her sight. She'd lost her staff over the side of the building when she'd hit the barrier, and she couldn't even think clearly enough to call it back with her thoughts. Whatever had caused the explosion was close by - she could feel an increase in the amount of hostile, unstable energy emanating in the atmosphere.  
  
"So the other two have decided to enter the fray, have they..." she ventured. With the death of their comrade, the remaining two commanders must've surely been enraged to execute a sneak attack that strong. Of course, if the two others were anything like the giant Tridyx, they'd probably be more powerful than he had been. And they outnumbered her what more.  
  
After moments of trying to clear her vision, blurs formulated into solid objects, and the ringing in her ears had begun to soften. Sailor Pluto breathed a sigh of relief when she saw ChibiUsa lying on the ground, bruised and disoriented, but unharmed. What cancelled the relief was the sudden upsurge of   
energy that flooded her senses from several yards in front of her, off the side of the building.  
  
"No...!!!!" She gasped as she spotted the monstrous Tridyx floating within a black sphere of crackling lightning energy, hellish rage burning through his eyes and absolute reckless abandonment piercing his insane, maddened visage. Aside from the fact that his armor had been cracked and scorched from the explosion, the Dead Scream blast had hardly even damaged the brute much to Setsuna's chagrin. Instead, it had seemed to only erase his arrogance and replace it with animalistic fury.  
  
"Impossible...I've never unleashed an attack that strong before...can these demons be killed at all...??" For once, Sailor Pluto found herself speechless. She'd thought for sure that the Dead Scream would've annihilated the beast. Any other creature would be nothing but dust by now.  
  
Suddenly, as his blazing glower turned in her direction, Setsuna saw Tridyx raise one sparking, outstretched palm and felt him begin to gather more storming energy from his reserves. She gasped in near panic - she'd seen what happened when those mercenaries began charging energy into their hand before, and she wasn't about to go up in smoke like many of their Special Forces members had. As quickly as she could, she lifted the dazed ChibiUsa off of the ground and bounded into air as a tremendous explosion of gold energy ripped into the roof of the building, tearing the entire top of the building to shreds in its wake. The powerful blast singed Setsuna's back and legs lightly as the guardian of time plummeted to the ground while tightly clutching ChibiUsa against her chest.  
  
"Puu!!" She heard ChibiUsa cry as the two plunged down toward the ground with increasing velocity.  
  
"Hang on tight!" She replied to the panicking princess as she extended one hand into the air while keeping the other clamped around the princess's waist like a vice. Like a dog to its master, the garnet staff returned from its resting-place at the foot of the dissected building and darted into Setsuna's outstretched palm. As she felt the cold metal meet her gloved hand, Sailor Pluto swept it over the space below them, creating an crescent arching platform of purple energy that pushed upwardly on them, slowing their rapid plunge into a level, calm descent. Setsuna lightly touched to the ground as she thanked her power for saving both of their lives for the moment. She set ChibiUsa down, and the princess immediately fell to the ground, her knees shaky and rubbery after the sudden plummet as well as Tridyx's energy attack.  
  
"Are you okay, Small Lady?" Setsuna knelt down to check the woozy girl. Her eyes were a bit glazed over and her expression was disoriented and perplexed, but after several long moments of waiting, Sailor Pluto was glad to see that ChibiUsa could stand and support her weight.  
  
"Yes, thanks to you, Puu," she hugged the time guardian tightly. Sailor Pluto gladly returned the embrace, basking in the warm glow of the moment as the only comfort allowed to them since Setsuna could remember. As ChibiUsa's hold grew slightly tighter, Sailor Pluto knew that from inside the princess's heart, where she kept track of the debts that she owed the time guardian, another entry had been made. Setsuna would never ask for those debts to be repaid either - it was her mission to protect the royal family, and besides, she was always willing to sacrifice herself for someone she loved.   
  
"S...set...suna...mama..." The warm glow flowing through Setsuna's tired body was frozen over in an instant as she felt her heart nearly drop to her feet. Resting her battered, burned body against the building was Sailor Saturn with a faint, distant look in her weary eyes. "Please...help me..."  
  
ChibiUsa must've heard her best friend's voice, for she immediately dropped away from Setsuna and whirled around. As her eyes came to rest on Hotaru's razed, crippled form, her pupils began to tear up and her knees and arms suddenly began to quiver.  
  
It then hit Setsuna as to what happened: the first energy concussion wave - the one that had catapulted her into the railing of the building rooftop - had been from an apparent energy beam that Tridyx had fired at Sailor Saturn as she was floating down to heal Sailor Uranus. The attack had obviously connected in full force - Sailor Pluto started to curse herself for being so careless. She hadn't even completely checked to see whether or not the monster was dead before sending Sailor Saturn off into the combat zone by herself. Now, thanks to her rare moment of naive thinking, her surrogate daughter was dying, and very painfully.  
  
"Hotaru!!" ChibiUsa screamed in terror as she rushed over to help her fallen friend.  
  
Too quickly for caution's sake, Sailor Pluto hurried over to Hotaru to check on her condition, praying with all the might remaining in her soul that the Z Warriors would come through...  
  
***  
  
"Z Warriors...?" Sailor Neptune's grip on the gold-handled mirror began to tighten, her mind suddenly seeing events before them at a whole new level. What had previously been a struggle between the Sailor Soldiers and foreign mercenaries - one that the former was decidedly losing from the state of the previous battle - had now escalated into an inter-temporal war that was seeing new players entering into the game. Though Sailor Neptune was initially appalled by Setsuna's little secret as much as her counter-part was, she'd quickly resigned some of that disgust after the elusive time guardian had revealed the queen's role in formulating the plan. Though Michiru was well aware of the queen's often-naive way of thinking, there seemed to be a small twinkle of merit in this plan that the rage-blinded Haruka couldn't sense. The risk...the resources needed...the sacrifice of Setsuna and the two Special Forces members that had been in on the plan...it didn't add up. Not even Serenity would gamble on such an attempt if it were on blind luck alone...  
  
"But there's only one way to find out..." Sailor Neptune - using the power she'd regained during her rest - managed to steady herself on her feet and charge the power of her senses into her Aqua Mirror. She held up the jeweled talisman one more time, stretching the mystical device's power to locate the mysterious entities known as the Z Warriors. If she remembered Setsuna's timeline of events, they'd surely be somewhere on the planet by now.  
  
She closed her eyes and let her consciousness drift away into the black void before her. All around her, the echoing clashes of conflicting energy began to ring softly through her ears, the loudest of which was the climatic battle occurring to the South near the palace. But those energy signatures meant nothing - she'd felt what seemed like thousands upon thousands of violent energy clashes since the aliens first laid hold to Earth.  
  
Suddenly, as she focused her psychic reach off into the distant north, an extremely powerful upsurge of energy bombarded her mind, causing Michiru to gasp out in pain and immediately break her psychic outreach. She fell to her knees as the shock of the power surge caused her head to slightly throb. Looking down at the aqua mirror in her hand, Sailor Neptune arched an eyebrow in utter astonishment at what the crystal glass was picturing.  
  
She saw the decimated countryside of Crystal Tokyo in the background of the small mirror and a small figure was shooting across the landscape like a bullet, waves of pure power flowing off of him in enormous quantities.  
  
"What in the world...??" Sailor Neptune squinted to get a better look at the tiny form. Underneath the layers of pure white energy, the princess of Neptune managed to make out the body of a young boy with long scruffy black hair and donning a purple karate gi with a thick white collar. A firm, determined gaze was fixed on his eyes, and from the tremendous amounts of power flowing out of him, he was speeding across the countryside at full speed.   
  
"The energy..." she muttered to herself as she admired the rigid resolve fixed in the boy's eyes. "It's unlike anything I've ever felt before. It's volatile, nearly violent...how could a child his age possess this much power...could this boy be one of Setsuna's Z Warriors?!"  
  
The idea would've been laughable if Michiru hadn't been witnessing the boy's incredible energy before her very eyes. Besides, ChibiUsa and Hotaru had already proved that size and age didn't make a difference when it came down to a serious fight. And from his unique form of power - different from all of the enemy soldiers they'd encountered up until now - that caused him to jet across the sky with blinding speed, Michiru was absolutely certain that the strange young boy was one of the Z Warriors.  
  
"My goodness..." she gasped as the realization sunk in. If the speed with which the child was approaching the battlefield was any indication of how much power he possessed in an actual battle, then things could've taken an infinite number of twists if he and his allies ever reached the palace battle. And that wasn't a good sign as far as she was concerned. Despite the queen's trust in the Z Warriors and their colorful history, there certainly was no guarantee that they would fight on their side, and even with Setsuna's promises and Serenity's faith, Michiru wasn't ready to take the chance, especially with the critical situation at hand.   
  
Besides, several questions still remained: where were the other Z Warriors, and hadn't Setsuna picked up on the boy's proximity to the battle yet?  
  
Sailor Neptune turned her eyes back toward the horizon of scorched earth and crumbling buildings in the direction of the palace, which looked like nothing more than a sparkling crystal star in the background. The fighting had experienced a few lulls, but several waves of vicious power as well as a few visible explosions hadn't eased Michiru's mind about the current state of Haruka and the others.  
  
Her frown increased even more as she realized that despite his incredible speed, the boy wasn't going to reach the palace in time to stop the onslaught of the aliens from killing whomever was remaining there. No matter what intentions he had, the boy was still a way off from her position, let alone the palace.  
  
Michiru was suddenly finding herself in a stalemate about what to do, with even her experienced instincts indecisive on which direction to turn. To remain on the building was to prompt a meeting with the strange child and either face his wrath or gain his friendship. With her weakened state, she wasn't too comfortable with the option, but there was only one other choice remaining.  
  
"To go to the palace," she said aloud. "And face the aliens alongside Setsuna and Haruka..."  
  
Neither choice was promising, but amidst her wavering state of mind, one thing was clear to Sailor Neptune.   
  
"My friends mean much more to me than a would-be ally," she muttered to herself as she willed herself into the air. "I must go and fight with them. I'd rather die fighting than stand here doing nothing but watch my family suffer. And if I don't come back to you alive, Haruka...then all I can do is ask for your   
forgiveness...and wait for you on the other side..."   
  
Pulling together her partially renewed energy, Sailor Neptune leapt into the air and sped off toward the battlefield where the fight was still raging in full force. Though her decreased energy wouldn't allow her to perform on her optimistic level of power and skill, it certainly paid to try. Besides, with all of the powers of the Outer Soldiers there, the mighty giant Tridyx would have his work cut out for him.  
  
"Haruka would kill me if she knew I was thinking like this," she pondered to herself as she considered the strategy running through her mind. Even though Sailor Uranus always stated - even to a degree of vehemence - that the mission always came before their own lives, Michiru knew her much better than that: Haruka would gladly take a fatal blow before any of them would, even if it meant losing the fight. Hopefully, her objections to Michiru putting herself in harms way would be short-lived in favor of survival. "Forgive me, Haruka, but we have no choice remaining at this point...I can't promise victory, but if we must die, we'll do it together!"  
  
  
  
***  
  
"Not much longer..." Gohan muttered as he sped across the cloudy night sky. Using whatever he could muster to increase his flight speed had certainly paid off - the palace wasn't much farther now, and any hostile kis nearby weren't nearly fast enough to catch him. He'd be there shortly at his current rate of speed, but Gohan couldn't afford to let up - every second counted if those Sailor Soldiers were to live. The enormous kis that he was sensing ahead were still thriving, but the smaller pure kis of the Sailor Soldiers seemed to be weakening at a rapid rate, and Gohan's keen instincts could only detect five of them remaining.   
  
"That's not good..." he murmured to himself. "Kami told us that there were ten Sailor Soldiers in all...and if two were already dead, and I'm only sensing five now..."  
  
Just when Gohan thought he was using all of his energy, he managed to pump more power into his body, sending him rocketing across the black sky with even more speed than ever before. Ever since his mind had fallen on the fates of the Namekians that were killed by Frieza - not to mention his helplessness against the murderers - he had sworn that he wouldn't let those princesses experience the same awful fate.  
  
"Just a little longer!" He called out ahead, even though he knew that the Sailor Soldiers couldn't hear him. "Please, stay alive for a few minutes more! I'll be there soon!"  
  
***  
  
"Hotaru, please hang on!" ChibiUsa lifted the body of her friend off of the grass and laid her against the side of the building, gripping her hand tightly for support. Her entire body had been completely burned, with her exposed skin smoking heavily and a faint glassy look in her dark eyes. Her clothes were scorched black in several areas. The Outer Soldier of Destruction was breathing heavily, gasping for air through what had to be burnt lungs from the extent of her injuries. "What in the world happened?!"  
  
"I'm sorry, ChibiMoon," Sailor Pluto lowered her head. "I overestimated the power of my Dead Scream attack, and I thought for certain that the alien had been destroyed. Forgive me, Hotaru, it's my fault that you were nearly killed..."  
  
"Setsuna-mama...ChibiUsa..." Hotaru's voice came out of her mouth coarse and low, and from the way she winced, ChibiMoon could tell that talking through her charred throat and lungs was only increasing her agony even more. "Please...don't...blame......"  
  
Hotaru's head suddenly dropped, and her body slumped down on the building's side. ChibiMoon's breath suddenly drew in sharply; she felt her hand beginning to tremble, almost violently. Looking at her best friend's motionless face, ChibiMoon felt her eyes begin to tear up, and she felt her strong emotional wall against the aliens' actions beginning to break down. Until now, she'd wanted to maintain composure during the fight; she didn't want to let the constant taunting and ferocious strength of the aliens get into her head, but as her eyes kept staring at the silent picture before her - the body of one of the closest people in her life, the person she had shared timeless experiences with in the past and present - she suddenly didn't care anymore.   
  
"NO!!" She released the built-up frustration in a powerful scream of rage, feeling whatever power she had left in her body exploding around her. She felt incredible; every cell in her body felt charged with the violent torrent of emotion. She looked back up toward the floating menace, who was still enveloped in a purple field of energy and casting down a glower of anger and intrigue.  
  
"Huh?" The cracked eyepiece on his face suddenly beeped. "Her battle power's skyrocketing! How could this be, I nearly killed her only a short time ago!!"  
  
"Small Lady...?" Sailor Pluto spoke softly to her, apparently as surprised as Tridyx was about the princess's sudden increase in power and anger. The change was evident as she glimpsed at the radiant light emitting from a tiny crescent moon that had suddenly materialized on her forehead. "What has happened to you...?"  
  
"Puu..." ChibiMoon didn't take her eyes off of Tridyx, her anger increasing even more with every second her eyes spent on the alien's monstrous form. "It's my turn to protect you now. This demon's gone too far in attacking Hotaru and killing the others. Look after Sailor Uranus while I take care of this monster!!"  
  
"ChibiMoon, don't!!" Sailor Pluto's warning came too late - ChibiMoon had already used her sudden increase in energy to propel herself into the air toward Tridyx, who seemed to welcome the challenge.  
  
"Yes, that's it!" He cackled as he rocketed down toward her in a blazing trail of purple energy. "Come straight for me, brat, straight toward your demise!!"  
  
***  
  
"No, what are you doing?!" Sailor Pluto called after Sailor ChibiMoon, trying to snap her out of her raging state of mind. But her efforts were futile - ChibiMoon was already speeding toward Tridyx at top speed, and not even the time guardian's words of logic could slow her down. This wasn't good at all - even with her titanic power surge, she was still no match for Tridyx's raw brute strength. "I've got to--"  
  
Before she could fly up after Sailor ChibiMoon, Sailor Pluto felt a sudden twinge of energy behind her. She whirled around and saw Hotaru's small hand beginning to move. A few rasping coughs escaped her mouth as her eyes came back into focus for a brief instant.  
  
"Hotaru!" Sailor Pluto was immediately over at the young girl's side, gently squeezing her hand to show her that somebody was close by. "Say something! Can you still hear me?"  
  
"Set...suna...mama..." She muttered with a small smile. "Am...I...alive...?"  
  
"Yes, Hotaru, please hold on!" She tried to console the injured Hotaru, who - even with her regained consciousness - wouldn't be around much longer with the extent of her injuries. "It must be your healing powers, they're keeping you alive by a thread..."  
  
"Lucky me," she attempted to chuckle, but instead winced once again as the internal burns stung her again. Lifting her weary eyes toward the sky, she gasped as she witnessed ChibiUsa's sheer display of rage propelling her in the direction of the monstrous Tridyx. "No...!! What is she thinking?! I've got to help her!!"  
  
Setsuna latched onto Hotaru's shoulder as the young Sailor Soldier attempted to use her last remaining ounce of will power to stand up. The time soldier loosened her grip on the young girl as Hotaru again cringed from the pressure being applied to her exposed burnt flesh.  
  
"Don't, Hotaru, please!" Setsuna rested Sailor Saturn against the building as the girl clenched her teeth, still in pain after Setsuna had grasped her scorched skin. "Forgive me, but you know full well that you're in no condition to fight anymore. Just stay here and rest for now. I'll fight with the princess in your place."  
  
"But...Setsuna-mama, she's doing this because of me...I have to--"  
  
"Hotaru..." Setsuna bent down and looked into the distant purple eyes of Sailor Saturn. "Don't blame yourself for what kind of danger ChibiUsa has put herself in. This wasn't just because you were hurt, or because the Sailor Soldiers were killed, but - as I have always feared over the battles I have seen her fight - the true horrors of war have finally pierced her innocent mind."  
  
"What do you mean?" Hotaru rasped. "ChibiUsa has fought in the past on numerous occasions, why would you say she isn't used to the concept of battle?"  
  
"She has experienced many trials over her short life," Setsuna agreed. "And I have always been proud of her ability to keep her pure, innocent soul throughout her tenure as Sailor ChibiMoon. But not even I have been through a period of decimation as tragic as this war has been. The destruction of our entire army, the slaughter of innocent civilians, the kidnapping of her mother, and now the valiant deaths of her closest friends, who've been the only family she has ever known. Even though everything seemed fine on the surface, I've known her too long to know that something wasn't right inside."  
  
"...So, you think she's finally snapped??" Hotaru ventured. "Oh, no..."  
  
"I know it's our mission to protect the royalty, and in the absence of the queen, ChibiUsa's life is first and foremost, Sailor Saturn," Sailor Pluto continued. "But my emotions will fight this battle, not my logic. I promise on my life that ChibiUsa will stay alive, and I'll pay them back for you, Haruka, and everyone else."  
  
"Setsuna-mama..." Hotaru gripped the time soldier's hand and squeezed it hard, smiling warmly through all of the pain that was encompassing her body. "...Thank you...come back to us alive..."  
  
Sailor Pluto returned the tender gesture to her surrogate daughter before standing and running off to the edge of street, eyeing the two combatants as they began to clash. Tridyx was firing energized fists in ChibiMoon's direction, but to Sailor Pluto's surprise, the young princess managed to duck and weave in between each individual swipe while still maintaining an offensive level of energy.  
  
"Her emotional outburst has propelled her to a new level of ferocity..." Pluto marveled. "But I fear it is only emotion that is driving her, and even her huge heart can't hold out forever...But how can I get in between those two without getting the princess hurt...?"  
  
It would've been a tight fit - the two combatants were so close together that attacking head on could've left the princess open to attack, and another Dead Scream had potential to strike ChibiUsa if circumstances allowed it.   
  
"Hah! You're not bad for someone who's lost her mind!" Tridyx mocked the princess as she ducked out of the way of another roundhouse punch. "But let's see if you can handle this!!"  
  
Tridyx pulled back one of his meaty fists and charged a ball of gold energy in his hand.  
  
"ChibiUsa!! Look out!!" Sailor Pluto called out to the princess.   
  
Tridyx released the orb of energy from his palm toward Sailor ChibiMoon, who - much to the surprise of Sailor Pluto - didn't try to dodge the projectile. Instead, she held up her hands and caught the ball of energy in mid-air, causing her body to shoot backward because of the high force. Sailor Pluto watched with anxiety as Sailor ChibiMoon applied her own counter-force to the pulsing orb.   
  
"Huh?!" Tridyx looked taken aback that the small girl had caught the sphere. So tremendous was his surprise that he didn't have time to react when ChibiMoon forced the energy ball right back at him with even greater speed than before! The ball spiraled through the air and struck the titanic mercenary in the chest. Instead of exploding, the orb propelled Tridyx backward through the air, and Sailor Pluto watched in awe as Tridyx punched through the wall of another multiple-story skyscraper. The volatile ball of energy finally picked its time to explode inside the confines of the structure. A gold explosion shattered the atmosphere and caused the once-rigid crystal building to explode from the inside, scattering crystal shards and metal scrap all over the already-ravaged streets below. The remains of the building caved in, burying the titan beneath the jagged crystal mesh.  
  
"My gosh..." Sailor Pluto was astonished as Sailor ChibiMoon's show of force. She gazed skyward at the princess, and - as she had expected - a tiny gold crescent moon was glowing on her forehead, emitting bright pure rays of light and energy. "So, just like in the twentieth century, she's released that awesome energy of hers...I had no idea that so much dormant power was inside of her...it's seemingly even greater than the energy I have..."  
  
Sailor Uranus - who was still lying on the ground with her own internal injuries - gazed up at her princess in her own mute astonishment.   
  
"No..." she rasped as she coughed up small trails of blood. "She can't defeat him...not even with that level of attack...I can still sense...his life force..."  
  
As Sailor ChibiMoon floated closer to the wrecked building, the ruins suddenly erupted like a volcano, sending even more pieces of debris flying outward in all directions.  
  
"Princess, look out!!" Sailor Pluto called out to her as she spotted a shard of metal sailing in Sailor ChibiMoon's direction.   
  
But it was too late - ChibiMoon was ill prepared for the sudden outburst by Tridyx and wasn't able to dodge the metal slate in time. The hard surface slammed into her small body, sending her plummeting to the surface below, about twenty feet away from where Sailor Pluto was standing. Now, the princess was pinned in between the street and the gigantic slab of metal, unable to move.  
  
"How much does it take to kill this fiend...?" Sailor Pluto clutched her staff again as the smoke from the most recent explosion began to clear. As she expected, Tridyx was up once again - alive and well. What heightened Sailor Pluto's caution another notch was the eerie calm that was frozen on his face, which was totally different from the cannibal-like wrath he had put forth from previous skirmishes. "Something's not right...I have to protect the princess before he goes on another rampage!"  
  
The monster gazed over in the direction of Sailor ChibiMoon, who was struggling to free herself from the metal shard that was holding her down. She was having no such luck - the huge shard must've weighed at least twice as much as she did, and a lot of the adrenaline from her previous outburst was beginning to wear off with her struggle; the tiny gold moon that once sparkled so brightly on her forehead had completely dissipated after she was hit by the slab.  
  
"My lip..." Tridyx muttered with an ominous tone. He wiped his bottom lip off with his bulky hand, and without a single word or even the slightest breath, he stared at the fresh red fluid staining his black gauntlet. The wind brushed past his massive form, causing a few of the blood droplets to get caught in its current and fly off of his hand onto the ground. More of the red fluid began emerging from the broken lip, and this time, Tridyx licked some of it away with his tongue. He looked up from his hand and turned his eerie, menacing expression toward the princess. The girl's sudden burst of anger had died with her current predicament, and the spine-chilling glower that was on Tridyx's bloodied face seemed only to instill more fear into ChibiMoon's paralyzed body. "You...You've caused me to bleed, princess...no one has ever done that to me...you...you little witch!! I've had enough of you, now die!!!"  
  
Tridyx's rage seemed to dissolve into his seemingly limitless supply of energy, for Sailor Pluto felt her bones begin to tremble and her blood beginning to freeze in shock at the greatest upsurge of energy demonstrated by Tridyx yet. Unlike the skirmish with Sailor Uranus or even the energy beam attack that nearly vaporized Sailor Pluto and Sailor ChibiMoon on the roof of the crystal skyscraper, this new fearsome energy build-up was concentrating itself throughout Tridyx's entire body, whereas the previous assaults had been nothing but short bursts of power that were stored within single maneuvers.  
  
"He's truly gone over the edge now..." Sailor Pluto frowned. She had already thought she'd seen nearly all of the monster's incredible energy put forth in the battle, but from the insane levels of power growing in his body now, she'd been dead wrong. Even now, the nerves in her body were nearly paralyzed by the immense waves of power radiating from him.  
  
The crescendo of the build-up was achieved when a fierce aura of black energy caused Tridyx's hand to literally burst into shadowy flames. The alien commander didn't even seem to feel any pain from the inferno engulfing his hand; if anything, the pain was merely fueling his insatiable anger even more, causing the frightful glare enveloping his tense visage to increase ten fold.  
  
"DIE!!!" He bellowed out as he pulled back his muscular, fiery arm and focused all of his energy into the center of his palm. Some of the unstable energy exploded around them, sending out volts of black thunder in all directions that stung at Setsuna's exposed skin. Sailor Pluto drew in her breath sharply - the demon was about to unleash Hell itself upon the prone ChibiUsa, whose small face and dark red eyes seemed consumed with fear, paralyzing every last cell in her body as she stared at the cold unfeeling face of Death.  
  
As Setsuna Meioh witnessed the princess's expression, knowing that she was about to meet the same fate as her beloved companions and friends, something snapped. All of a sudden, images from the past arose like ghosts from the grave inside her turbulent soul. She saw Small Lady's smiling image before her during the happiest times in the young princess's life. Her delightful surprise at her birthday...her innocent laugh as she joked around with the other Sailor Soldiers...even a picture of the rejoicing sparkle in ChibiUsa's eyes when Sailor Pluto arrived at the battlefield played back in her memory. Inside Setsuna's skull, as soft as a spring breeze yet resounding enough to drown out the awful screeching of energy that reverberated from Tridyx, Setsuna heard the familiar sounds of sweet, pure laughter...ChibiUsa's laughter. The princess had been her happiest whenever Setsuna had heard the melodic sound coming from Small Lady...and the time guardian always remembered that most of those such occasions were when she was around her. The final thought that flashed through her mind as she gazed at the pure sight of terror in the young princess's face was the final words she had said to her before taking her life in her hands against Tridyx.  
  
Puu...it's my turn to protect you now.  
  
Setsuna held her emotion back, something she'd done throughout her entire lifetime, though it was far more difficult to suppress it this time. Yet even through it all, she knew what had to be done.  
  
"Small Lady..." she whispered. "Thank you for everything...please forgive me for what I must do."  
  
Without any hope of a quick Dead Scream attack having a chance of piercing the fierce onslaught of energy or trying to execute a Time Stop in such a critical time-frame, Setsuna Meioh knew that she had only one option left if she wanted to save Small Lady.  
  
Relinquishing her hold on her garnet staff, Setsuna plunged forward through the black energy storm, not even acknowledging the pain that the violent thunderbolts were causing to her body. ChibiUsa's body was only several feet away, but as Tridyx's final strike came closer to fruition, the final strides seemed like miles.  
  
"Small Lady...I shall leave you with one last memory..."  
  
***  
  
Sailor ChibiMoon couldn't move, couldn't lift her legs to get away from Tridyx's line of fire. The weight of the slab pinning her body as well as the sheer panic elevating in her system each second she stared into the black fire that would serve to be her end.   
  
She couldn't believe it was ending this way...after all of the battles, all of the victories and setbacks and all of the motivation, here she was about ready to join Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako in the Great Beyond, dying a meaningless death against a foe that had spat in their faces up until the bitter end. Even with a few short spurts of offense, the mighty giant had barely been scarred in the long run, and her recent outburst of energy seemed only to trigger the bomb's explosion.  
  
"Got to keep trying...!!" Sailor ChibiMoon pushed up with her arms harder, trying desperately to free herself from the slab of metal. But her efforts were futile, as the brunt of the energy that had once been concentrated into Tridyx's hand was being shot into the air by the titanic beast in her direction. As her eyes met the malevolent purple aura of the incoming energy beam, she knew there was no escape for her.   
  
Suddenly, as ChibiMoon felt her life coming to an end, a tall form darted in front of the beam's path, totally shielding her from the awesome force approaching. As taken aback from the arrival of the unknown as ChibiUsa was, the princess's heart almost stopped when she squinted through the bright purple glare approaching them and she noticed the Sailor Soldier fuku and the long, green-shaded hair.  
  
"Puu, no!! Get out of here!!!" She screamed over the torrent of energy. But the time guardian didn't listen, didn't even utter a response to the princess she was saving. She extended her arms horizontally - she was practically offered herself to the depths of Hell and didn't care one bit. "Setsuna, NO!!!"  
  
The next sound ChibiUsa heard was a long resounding scream from Setsuna Meioh as the beam from Tridyx impacted her in full force, tearing into her very soul with its frightening power.   
  
She wasn't sure what caused it, whether it be some leftover impact of the beam or the agonizing pain from hearing Setsuna screaming, but the next thing ChibiUsa knew, she was blacking out.  
  
***  
  
Piccolo's senses suddenly went off, causing the Namek to heighten his speed toward the palace area.   
  
"Krillin..." He looked back toward his human comrade with trepidation. Krillin returned the uncertain look and nodded his head. He'd obviously felt the large explosion of ki energy several miles ahead of them. Piccolo turned his gaze back to the scene in front of him. The ruination of the crystal structures that once made up the city below them was getting worse with every passing mile - what had once been merely cracks and smoldering floors on the exquisite creations of magic and technology had turned into total decimation, complete with large crystal shards and scraps of burning metal adorning the crater-laden highways and streets below them. They had to be getting to close to the palace now, and not a moment too soon.  
  
"One of those pure kis is starting to fade after that explosion," Piccolo said to Krillin after scanning ahead a small way.  
  
"Oh, no! We'd better move it before it completely extinguishes!" Krillin kicked in more of his energy, and Piccolo was quick to do the same. It was bad enough that at least two of the princesses were dead, but if they weren't quick, another would follow suit.  
  
***  
  
She didn't know how much time had passed before she regained consciousness. All Sailor ChibiMoon knew was that she was free from the imprisonment of the metal slab - apparently the force of Tridyx's beam had lifted the heavy projectile off of---  
  
"Oh, no......." She lifted her weary head up to a heartbreaking sight. Several feet away from her, lying prone in a barren crater, Sailor Pluto was barely breathing. The beam had completely ripped through her, tearing her clothes in a few spots and scarring her whole body with burns. The slow rise and fall of her chest was a good sign, however, and ChibiMoon was quick to scurry over to her mentor's side and check on her condition. Setsuna's face was tired, worn, and bruised, but she still managed to force a smile upon seeing that ChibiUsa was okay.  
  
"Puu..." She said as she looked down into Sailor Pluto's tired eyes. Not much of a sparkle remained in her pupils, and her gaze was getting faster and more distant by the second. As painful as it was to admit it, ChibiUsa knew the horrible truth: Setsuna was dying, and with the extent of her injuries, Death was quickly stealing her soul with each passing moment. "Why...why did you have to protect me...??"  
  
"Forgive me, Small Lady..." The time guardian replied in a weak murmur. "...But I could never allow myself to live if I were to let you die...you see... somehow...I knew that this would happen someday...that I would end my long existence...by your side...protecting you..."  
  
ChibiUsa began to choke up at the sight of the dying Sailor Pluto, and tears finally broke the barrier of her eyes as what remained of her broken heart began crumbling into dust.  
  
"No...please don't cry, Small Lady...there's no need for tears..." Sailor Pluto lifted one maimed arm and took the princess's small, trembling hand. "Facing this undesirable fate now...doesn't bring sorrow to my soul...for as long as you are alive and safe...until our hope appears...I can rest in peace..."  
  
ChibiUsa squeezed Setsuna's warm hand tightly, causing the time guardian's smile to bloom even more. For some reason the cryptic words held no meaning for the princess. The dim glimmer in Setsuna's eyes was the only picture occupying her thoughts.  
  
"Small Lady...how much you have grown these past months...Looking back at you before your training, at the small innocent child...who didn't know the horrors of battle... I see that you've changed so much since then...I'm so proud of you, Small Lady...Thank you...for everything...I was happier...in the short time I spent by your side...than the eternity I spent...guarding Time's gates..."  
  
ChibiUsa felt the grasp of Setsuna's hand beginning to slip as her final ounces of strength faded.  
  
"Puu..." ChibiUsa's voice cracked in between sobs. "No...Please...don't go..."  
  
With one last breath, Setsuna Meioh uttered one last phrase to the princess.  
  
"Good...bye...Small Lady..." she gently whispered. "Please...don't...die......"  
  
As Setsuna's eyes closed for the last time, her head slumped down to one side; a single gray tear trickled down her face. The soft winds swept across the desolate street, carrying that last living part of Sailor Pluto with it.  
  
ChibiUsa felt the support of her knees giving way, and she collapsed onto the lifeless body of her surrogate mother, not caring about the aliens, not caring about exposing her fragile emotional state to the enemies, not caring about anything anymore. As the tears silently flowed from her eyes, memories from everything flooded back into her thoughts: the deaths of her beloved friends seemed even much more of a loss with the death of Sailor Pluto. Now more than ever, ChibiUsa felt like she had died along with them. Her spirit's refusal to depart her body was Hell's own slap in the face, a sentence for her to continue to bear witness to the horrible destruction of her home and friends up until the planet was nothing but a corpse-infested wasteland.   
  
No curse could've ever been so dreadfully cruel.  
  
***  
  
Infernia floated over toward Tridyx with an annoyed expression on her face. She couldn't fathom how the giant had lost control of his temper so easily. Had it not been for the sacrifice of the taller Sailor Soldier, the princess would've been nothing but black dust, and her chance at the ultimate satisfaction of victory would've been denied thanks to her underling's incompetence.  
  
"What do you think, captain?" Tridyx's arrogance was restored as he gazed with immense fulfillment at the sobbing princess. Though Infernia couldn't hear any sounds coming from the motionless princess, it wasn't too hard to tell that she was crying with more pain and agony than she had ever experienced in her life. Judging from the last conversation before her death, the Sailor Soldier that had saved the princess from Tridyx's energy blast had apparently been closer to her than all of the others that had fought in the battle. The princess seemed as emotionally distraught as she would be if she witnessed the death of her own mother. "How do you like my handiwork? It felt so refreshing to release all of my anger at once - it truly made up for all of the day's frustrations."  
  
"Perhaps for you," Infernia flashed a small glare over toward him. "But you should be grateful that the other Sailor Soldier took the hit for her princess, Tridyx. Don't you remember our little deal that we made before the battle began?"  
  
Tridyx's smile faded, the command to kill all of the Sailor Soldiers except the princess evidently reentering his thick skull. He took a nervous step backward as Infernia's fiery glare continued to pierce his eyes.  
  
"Err...uhh...forgive me, captain," he stammered as he held up his hands. "I guess I...err...got carried away there for a moment. Uhh...the princess is all yours! I don't think anything in the way at this point."  
  
Infernia returned her gaze toward the princess, who still had not moved since the passing of her friend.   
  
"Very well, Tridyx," she replied with the same tone of iron in her voice. "I'll forgive you this time, but one more slip-up like the one you nearly committed, and you shall burn along with the rest of them! But, I guess as long as I keep the honor of inserting the final blade into the heart of this pathetic planet, I can live with it."  
  
"But, captain," Tridyx cleared his throat. "I thought you wanted to save her for the queen. You wanted to burn the entire family alive before Serenity's own eyes."  
  
"True," Infernia licked her lips as she gazed around at the survivors of the battle. The tan solider that had challenged Tridyx several times was still trying to force herself to her feet against the weight of her injuries, and from the nearly ferocious glower in her face, she had not been too pleased with the death of another of her comrades. The child Sailor Soldier that Tridyx had blind-sided wasn't faring too well either. Her burns were beginning to catch up to her, and the recent death of the tall Sailor Soldier that had nearly beaten Tridyx had left her in shock. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared blankly at the body of the dead woman. To Infernia's vengeful mind, it was the perfect setting for the final climatic scene in the war. "But in light of recent events, I think it would be most appropriate for the cherished, beloved princess to meet her end before the ones who were so bent on protecting her most. Why wait for Serenity's reaction - she will respond to a charred skeleton just as well. Before you finish off these Sailor Soldiers, I will plunge the final stake into their hearts by incinerating their princess while they lie helpless and dying. It wil make their trip to Hell so much more enjoyable..."  
  
"You certainly take pleasure in the suffering of your enemies, captain," Tridyx laughed aloud. "I could never compare to your perception of true and total victory. To you, death is merely the lowest form of misery."  
  
"Thank you," Infernia stepped toward the princess, but not before her gold-tinted scouter blipped, registering a low power touching down a short distance away. "What's this...?"  
  
She and Tridyx turned around and spotted another Sailor Soldier touching down near them. At first, she assumed it was yet another new addition to the bothersome team, but it was actually the one with the sea-green hair that had experienced an energy loss shortly after her arrival on the battlefield.   
  
"Ah, so nice that she saved us the trouble of looking for her," Tridyx smirked, cracking his knuckles as he sized up the new arrival. "I owe her one for putting me through that wall!"  
  
The maiden gazed around in horror at the devastation, not expecting the situation to be quite so grim. Her eyes traveled to the individually wounded Sailor Soldiers, and her body seemed to tense in utter rage as her finally landed on the disheveled princess and the body of the her rescuer.  
  
Infernia let out a cocky chuckle as she called over to her. "What's the matter? Is it so shocking that your foolish friends have been beaten and broken? It's such a shame that you weren't here to see as my good friend Tridyx cut them down one by one!"  
  
"...I don't care how you did it! All I know is that you've hurt the ones most precious to me, and I can never forgive you!" The taunt was enough to trigger a small energy build-up in the Sailor Soldier. A small aqua-colored orb emerged in one of her open palms. "Neptune Deep---"  
  
Before she managed to release her attack, Infernia smiled approvingly as Zebus sped in behind her and latched onto her arms, holding them tightly with his scaly, muscular limbs.  
  
"Huh, too bad. Good work, Zebus," Infernia nodded as she calmly sauntered over to them. The Sailor Soldier attempted to struggle against the insectoid's vice-like grip, but Zebus's size and leverage was more than enough to hold her in place. Infernia chuckled as she snatched the Sailor Soldier's chin with one gloved hand and spat into her face. She held the Sailor Soldier's head in place and snickered as she stared at the green-haired fighter's incensed expression.  
  
"You should be grateful for being allowed to live," she said. "You've been given the honor of watching your princess die before your very eyes. But don't worry, you and your pathetic friends will be quick to follow. Though all of you made valiant efforts, I'm afraid that the fate of this planet wil be sealed when the last of you is eliminated!"  
  
"You monster...!!" The Sailor Soldier hissed as she clenched her teeth in rage. "Somehow, we'll find some way to defeat you, I swear it!"  
  
Infernia dropped the girl's head and turned in the princess's direction. The small girl was still motionless, keeled over before the dead body of her savior. In her disheveled state, there would be no problem whatsoever in disposing of her. It almost disappointed Infernia - the princess had been more than a scrapper throughout the battle and it would be a little unsatisfactory if she would submit to Death so easily.   
  
Nevertheless, Infernia stepped in her direction, but before she got too far, she shot one last cocky glance back toward the Sailor Soldier in Zebus's grip.  
  
"Even in defeat, you Sailor Soldiers spout such silly nonsense," She shook her head. "But with your frail powers, I suppose all you can fight with is words. Now, as I have done with countless planets in the past, I will attain the ultimate satisfaction over this world by reducing its most beloved treasure into a pile of ash. I do hope that you enjoy the grand finale of our show!"  
  
She stepped leisurely away from the infuriated Sailor Soldier, who was still safely secure within Zebus's grasp, and meandered across the ruined street toward the princess. Along the way, she passed the Sailor Soldier that Tridyx had effectively pounded into the ground earlier. She was still fighting against the weight of her injuries that held her down to the ground. Though her efforts seemed forceful, Infernia could tell by the absurd shape of her spine that Tridyx's recent barrage on the Sailor Soldier had shattered the lower portion of her spine. Despite any efforts whatsoever, she wouldn't be standing again, let alone fighting. As she flashed Infernia a seething glare, the captain kicked a small cluster of pebbles and dirt into her face.  
  
"Your friend is quite the feisty one," she mocked the Sailor Soldier as she spat down upon her broken body. "However, she has sealed her own fate by returning here thinking she could match powers with us. But I'll be sure to test the limits of such fierce tenacity before letting her expire."  
  
"You damn animal..." she responded vehemently. "If you so much as touch a hair on Michiru's shoulder, then so help me, I'll..."  
  
"You'll what?" Infernia interrupted with a mirthful chortle as she stepped on the Sailor Soldier's neck, causing her to gasp for air. "Hmm...I've got it now. I'll make this an enjoyable experience for you. Since the arrival of you and your private band of Sailor Soldiers managed to hamper our plans significantly, you'll be the last one that I finish off, just so you can witness the deaths of the two children and your fiery ally. For someone with such strong feelings toward all of these fools, it'll be such a fond memory to reflect upon on your trip to Hell!"  
  
Infernia kicked the wounded Sailor Soldier in the jaw, sending her tumbling away a few feet in the opposite direction. Brushing a bit of her gold hair away from her face, Infernia finished her trek across the ravaged warzone, stopping in front of the crumpled body of the princess. As Infernia's shadow fell over the small girl, her head raised up to stare into her blazing red eyes, fear and panic playing across her damp face and seizing control of her large red eyes.  
  
"Well, well, such a saddening site," Infernia snickered as she kicked the dead body of the Sailor Soldier away with her boot, sending it flying into a nearby wall. "Ah, owing somebody a life debt must be such a disheartening predicament. I would know - I owe somebody a life debt myself, although I must say--" Before the princess could react, Infernia's hand shot out and snagged her small neck and wrapped all the way around it like a vine. Lifting the child into the air, she tightened her hold on her neck, forcing a few slight rasps out of her throat. Looking into the princess's crestfallen expression, Infernia was quite satisfied - there never was quite a moment like the one preceding an enemy's demise, especially at her hands. Such a moment like this would live on her memory for a long time, as would the moments when Serenity and Endymion would witness the charred, skeletal remains of their beloved daughter and break down, much like the princess had after she was saved by her ally. "--while gaining my life debt earned me a 'partnership' with the greatest genius and leader that the mercenary world has ever known, yours has merely earned you a more painful death at my own hands. I truly hope that all of your friends are watching this from Hell, because as your flesh burns into nothingness, the existence of your world will die in the same blazing recesses of fire!"  
  
Focusing some of her power into her free hand, Infernia easily burned away the glove surrounding it. Her immeasurable joy took the form of a widening smile as Infernia reached her bare hand toward the face of Earth's princess, molten heat already bubbling across the pores of her skin.  
  
"Mommy..." she heard the princess whisper into the night air. "Forgive me...I failed, we all failed..."  
  
"Too true," Infernia laughed aloud. "Don't worry, when all of you are in Hell together, you can apologize straight to her face!"  
  
Suddenly, as Infernia was about to deliver the fatal touch, a single shout rang out through the air from a short distance, stopping her thrust.  
  
"Masenko....HAA!!!"  
  
From the eastward direction, a fierce red-orange beam of energy materialized in the sky and launched downward at her at an incredible speed. The width of it was abnormal; what was more, she hadn't even detected any powers great enough to create such a massive energy discharge!  
  
"How...?!?" Infernia had no time for words of surprise; she found herself narrowly avoiding the beam's impact as she leapt high into the air. The beam's golden explosion on the ground still managed to singe her legs slightly, sending shock up and down her nervous system. The sudden jolt of pain caused her to relinquish her hold upon the princess. The small child went sailing through the air and plummeted toward the ground at an alarming rate of speed.  
  
"ChibiUsa, NO!!!" The green-haired Sailor Soldier cried out as Zebus - though surprised as Infernia was about the sudden ambush from the air - retained his strong hold over her, preventing her from rushing forward to break the princess's fall. With the child's energy at a weak point and her spirit practically broken, such a fall could've ended her life just as easily as Infernia's chosen form of execution.  
  
All of a sudden, as the princess's head was inches away from shattering on the craggy asphalt, her   
body suddenly shot skyward once again, as if propelled by an invisible energy or a powerful gust of wind from below. Infernia was flabbergasted.  
  
"Wait...that was no form of magic like the Sailor Soldiers used..." She gasped as her scouter went off, registering a small ki source that was propelling the princess away from danger. "It's super speed...!! But how could it be?! No member of the Crystal Tokyo Special Forces could possibly..."  
  
Just out of impulse and a bit of paranoia, Infernia's eyes shot down to the ground, but she still spotted all of the Sailor Soldiers where she had left them, and if they had killed five, and if she excluded Serenity - who had once been Sailor Moon - all of them were accounted for.  
  
"But if it wasn't even a Sailor Soldier's power..." Infernia mused as she watched the princess's body disappear into the smoke created by the red-orange beam. "Then who on this planet could possibly...?"  
  
As if on cue, her question was answered as an abrupt concussion wave of ki energy pierced the curtain of smog, causing it to dissipate into the cold night air. The mystery concealed behind the curtain was revealed to Infernia's curious eyes.  
  
And she couldn't believe what she saw.  
  
***  
  
Sailor Neptune opened her eyes after shielding them from the sudden shock wave of energy that had poured onto her and the surrounding area like a hurricane. And although the insectoid monster's grasp on her was as iron-tight as ever, the sight Neptune saw floating amidst the starry backdrop was enough to turn her whole world upside-down.  
  
The princess was floating silently in the air, held securely in the arms of a small boy. The boy was donning a purple karate gi with a snow-white collar. His round hair was covered with long, shaggy black hair and his eyes projected a solid steel aura of power and determination as he faced all three aliens without any fear whatsoever.  
  
"It's him..." Neptune muttered to herself, remembering the image her mirror had shown her. "Setsuna, you were right...your Z Warriors...have finally come..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. The Woeful Earth Strikes Back

Chapter 8: The Woeful Earth Strikes Back   
  
It could've been worse - much worse - as far as Gohan was concerned, but even still, the damage had been done. The scattered rubble and smoking remains of the surrounding crystalline buildings on the street were clear proof that the conflict had been fierce and unrelenting, and as Gohan's eyes fell on the silent bodies of four similarly dressed figures, his fighting spirit was energized even more with the prospect of turning the tide of the fight.   
  
But while he still had a moment, he inspected the small girl's bruises and lacerations. Gohan knew that she'd given everything she had during the encounter, which was very impressive: the girl seemed a bit younger than he was and had outlasted a lot of her older teammates. Even in her dazed state, Gohan could physically see the purity that had radiated throughout the small amount of ki sparkling in her large red eyes. As her dazed and confused gaze finally focused in on him, Gohan was relieved to see that despite her smaller bruises, she was relatively unharmed, albeit shell-shocked.   
  
"Are you okay?" Gohan asked. "You came so close to dying back there. I didn't think I'd be able to catch you for a moment."   
  
The girl took a moment to respond, but when she did, it was in the form of a surprised gasp at the stranger holding her in his arms. The Masenko blast and the scary aftermath had obviously been too fast-paced for her weary mind to keep track of; she'd probably thought that she was still in the clutches of the enemy commander.   
  
"H...huh...?!" She looked down and seemed flabbergasted at the smoldering red-orange fire beneath them. "What in the world just...?!"   
  
"Relax for a minute, it's okay," Gohan addressed her slowly to calm her down. The tactic seemed to work, as the young girl turned back to him and nervously spoke. Gohan was amused at the bit of red color surfacing on her pale face as she looked at him, but he tried not to let it show.   
  
"You...you're the one...who fired that beam...?" She stammered as her gaze nervously shifted around. She was either uncomfortable with being held so high in the air by a stranger, or she was just trying to fight off the redness in her face.   
  
"Yeah, sorry about that close call back there," Gohan bowed his head in apology. "But when I saw that savage about to touch you, something inside me said that you wouldn't   
be alive right now if I hadn't intervened."   
  
The girl laughed lightly as she sheepishly smiled before replying.   
  
"Well...thank you so much for saving me...but who are you? Where did you come from? I've never heard of anybody with your type of power on our planet before," she asked him with curiosity, still not fully recovered from what had just happened to her.   
  
"Heh, I don't think there's time to explain exactly why I'm here," Gohan admitted to her as he motioned down toward the three aliens commanders. The female that had nearly killed the girl looked absolutely incensed at his interference, and her blazing eyes instantly incinerated his own gaze. Another alien - this one in damaged black armor and donning a cracked scouter - was waiting on the ground with peaked interest at the sudden turn of events. A trickle of blood was dripping from his lower lip, and his face, arms, and legs were coated in dirt. Judging from the mass destruction of the surrounding area as well as the fresh corpses, Gohan surmised that he had been the one most responsible for the deaths of the princesses. Gohan made sure to remember that if he was to lock horns with that particular fiend momentarily.   
  
Still a third insect-like alien was grasping one of the princesses within his steel-strength arms. Both of them were a little more than surprised by his arrival and small counterattack on the female alien, but Gohan was relieved to see that the slender green-haired princess was alive, albeit weak and possibly wounded.   
  
Two more twists that didn't add to Gohan's confidence were the two other figures that were severely wounded and laid out on the ground. The pure kis that radiated from their bodies told him that they were indeed two more of the Sailor Soldiers that Kami had mentioned. Unfortunately, the tan-haired one was crippled on the ground with an absurd lump in her back, and the smaller one - who couldn't have been much older than he was - had been scorched all over by a ki attack of some kind. From what Gohan saw, she didn't seem to notice the developing situation, as she seemed close to the point of death as he observed her comatose stare.   
  
"I don't think your friends will last much longer," Gohan suggested as he turned his attention back to the girl. "The sooner that I can beat these three aliens, the quicker we can get help for them."   
  
"What?!?" The girl seemed even more amazed at Gohan's nonchalant statement. "Are you serious...? You can defeat all three of those terrible monsters single-handedly?! You don't understand, these demons are awful: my friends that fought them were some of the most powerful protectors of the planet...and they...they..."   
  
The girl was obviously getting overworked, her voice cracking at the mention of her friends. Gohan's heart sank as she struggled with futility to maintain her composure, but her could see faint traces of tears being blocked in the corners of her eyes.   
  
"I'm...sorry," He rested his hand on the girl's shoulder, causing her to lift her face toward him. "I don't know what you're feeling about the loss of your friends, but I can promise you that I'll protect you from these monsters! They won't lay a hand on you as long as I'm around!"   
  
"You'd...risk your life for me? Even though you've never met me before...?" She was taken aback even more by Gohan's words. "I mean...you don't even know my name, and I don't have the faintest clue of who you are or why you're here..."   
  
The rapidly escalating situation seemed over the girl's head, but Gohan decided to help matters by lowering the two of them to the ground. He also decided to at least provide a small introduction for the time being.   
  
"My name's Son Gohan, miss," He smiled politely. "What's your name?"   
  
The girl still seemed nervous, and her face seemed to get a little redder at her mystery rescuer calling her 'miss.' As she struggled for words, she finally managed to croak out her name as the duo hit the ground.   
  
"M-my name is Usagi," She stammered. "It's my mother's name, too, so you may call me by the name my friends gave me: ChibiUsa."   
  
"Usagi? That's a nice name," Gohan replied. "It's nice to meet you! Can you stand up?"   
  
"Yes...Son Gohan," She stuttered shakily. "That energy beam you fired and the fall gave me a start, but I think I can manage to stand up."   
  
Gohan gently set her down, not letting go of her completely until he was certain that she could support her own weight.   
  
"After that woman grabbed me, I didn't think I'd be alive long enough to walk on solid ground again," she commented. "I have to admit, though, I'm not used to moving so fast   
in the air. I almost lost my stomach after you caught me."   
  
"Don't worry, you get used to it after a while," Gohan laughed lightly. "Trust me, I've had my own bad experiences when I wasn't used to aerial combat."   
  
Finding his attention drifting, Gohan turned back to the aliens for the moment. The female was still too close for comfort - if she wanted to get a quick shot at the weakened ChibiUsa, she could've very well been able to get past his defenses if her speed was great enough to dodge his Masenko beam. The giant was quick to step forward and stand beside her, looking on while casually cracking his knuckles.   
  
"Well, you certainly are a quick little rat," The female spoke with a calmer tone than her expression had let on earlier. She chuckled slightly as she noticed his defensive stance as he stood boldly in front of the girl. "I'm not even sure why my scouter didn't detect the massive amount of ki until that beam was upon me. So why don't you tell us who you are and what you hope to gain by interfering with our extermination plans?"   
  
"I don't think that's any of your business," Gohan retorted. "All you need to know is that your not getting your hands on this girl as long as I'm standing."   
  
The magma-skinned alien burst out in a small laugh. "You? Stopping us from fulfilling our plan? Ha, I thought you were a tad stronger than the rest of the vermin on this planet, but I think you let that little surprise attack you had on me go to your head. My power goes far beyond what I planned to do to Serenity's daughter before you saved her; taking on a worthless runt like you isn't even worth my time."   
  
Serenity's daughter...? Gohan was caught by surprise at that revelation. He turned to the girl to confirm his suspicion.   
  
"So, your mother is NeoQueen Serenity!" He declared. "I knew you looked like the woman from the message!"   
  
"Message? What are you talking about?" ChibiUsa arched one of her eyebrows in confusion. "You mean...you didn't know that I was the princess of Earth??"   
  
"No, your mother sent for us," Gohan explained to her. "She sent some kind of probe back through time to my era. After we received it, a friend of one of your Sailor Soldiers   
helped us travel forward in time to here. It was only the fact that we wound up arriving a huge distance away or else we would've been here earlier...and perhaps we could've saved your friends..."   
  
ChibiUsa sighed heavily, a melancholy expression overtaking her inquisitive facade.   
  
"Son Gohan..." she said to him. "I appreciate your sentiment for my friends and the people here...and even though I don't know who you are and where you come from...I can tell that your intentions are for real. But still, how do you expect to fight off three monsters at once while protecting the others?"   
  
Now that Gohan had thought about it, it was a tremendous question, especially with the lives of the remaining Sailor Soldiers at risk. Another good question was why the aliens hadn't finished off those other three Sailor Soldiers instead of going for ChibiUsa. Either the princess's death alone would grant them some kind of advantage in their invasion, or the female was obsessively sadistic enough to pass up a victory in favor of allowing the victims to watch their princess die before their eyes. Gohan had to keep that weakness in mind for possible later use.   
  
"Ah, how touching," The female laughed. "It seems you share some kind of bond with these Sailor Soldiers as well as their princess, just as every other human around here has - ready to scream their loyalty and lives to the queen even at the moment of your death. I wonder...you've succeeded with shielding the princess from our grasp for the moment, but are you just as concerned with protecting the other saviors of this planet?"   
  
Gohan didn't waiver even with the prolific threat, but he couldn't help but feel himself tensing as the female casually crossed her arms. The prone Sailor Soldiers were a considerable distance away: he couldn't protect all of them with three threats in immediate striking distance of them.   
  
"Son Gohan," ChibiUsa stepped closer to him and whispered softly so as not to alert the aliens. "Don't worry about me, please, you've got to help my friends!"   
  
"I can't...!" Gohan snapped back at her. "Even if I leave you unguarded and let you get hurt or killed, there's still no guarantee that I'll make it to the others in time!"   
  
"Oh, a bit indecisive, are we?" The female commander's arrogance was enough to nearly provoke Gohan into charging forward into her and her titanic bodyguard. "Very well, I think I'll lighten the amount of lives you need to concern yourself with saving."   
  
She casually turned back toward the insectoid before Gohan could react and uttered a simple order.   
  
"Zebus, finish her off."   
  
The insect known as Zebus acknowledged by releasing one arm from his grip on the Sailor Soldier and ramming his armored forearm into her head. The jarring shock sent the unsuspecting Sailor Soldier to the ground with a dull thud. That hadn't been the deathblow, but it had been enough to stun her long enough for Zebus to gather a blue orb of energy into one of his palms.   
  
"It would be my pleasure, captain," he hissed as the orb grew in size. "I was almost thinking that this day would pass without me making a corpse of one of these Sailor brats!"   
  
As Zebus drew his hand back to launch the orb at the prone Sailor Soldier, Gohan didn't know what to do: either way, somebody was going to die, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.   
  
Suddenly, as Gohan remained frozen at his indecisiveness, a figure darted from out behind one of the buildings and - with tremendous speed - delivered a swift flying kick to Zebus's jaw, sending the massive alien sailing backward onto the ground. The blue energy sphere flew out of the alien's hand and soared upward into the night sky, finally exploding several hundred feet away from the ground. As for Zebus, he appeared to be nearly unconscious from the jarring blow to the head.   
  
"What...?!" The female commander was shell-shocked once again as she and her comrade gazed bug-eyed at the new arrival. "Impossible, there was another one?!"   
  
Gohan, on the other hand, was quite relieved as he recognized the short stature, bald dome and orange karate gi. The figure turned around and nodded toward him.   
  
"Krillin!!" Gohan called to him happily. "Thank goodness you got here! I must be getting a little slow if you managed to keep up with me!"   
  
"Very funny, Gohan!" He laughed. "Relax, I'm not the only one who followed you here."   
  
"Who is that, Son Gohan?" ChibiUsa asked, equally startled by Krillin's sudden appearance. "My gosh, can he move fast...I could barely see follow him during that surprise attack."   
  
"Don't worry, that's my friend Krillin," Gohan answered her. "He's one of the others that have come here with me. The rest should be on their way: I just happened to get here   
first!"   
  
"Yes, and the decision paid off, fortunately for you," An iron voice from high above half-scolded the boy before he could explain more about the others to ChibiUsa. "Were it not for your actions in protecting Serenity's daughter, I'd have your head for deviating from our plan."   
  
Gohan's eyes darted in the voice's direction, knowing in his mind that the threat carried no merit - he'd come to expect it from the voice's origin. As his eyes fixed themselves on the remains of a small building behind him, Gohan smiled with delight upon seeing a formidable cloaked figure staring down at him and the others.   
  
"Mister Piccolo!" Gohan called up to him.   
  
"What?!? It can't be--there are three of them?!" The female commander was in utter shock at the appearance of a third unknown. She also seemed rather perturbed at the origin of the third warrior. "But how is it possible for a Namek to be here on Earth?!"   
  
Piccolo didn't respond; instead, he sprang from his perch and softly touched down on the ground in front of Gohan. After engaging in a slight stare-down with the two closest commanders, he turned his head toward the boy. ChibiUsa, unsurprisingly, shrank back slightly as the Namek's steel eyes bored into both of them.   
  
"So that's Serenity's daughter," he said as he glanced around Gohan's back at the small child behind him. "She does bare much resemblance to her mother. It reminds me of you and your father, Gohan."   
  
"Umm, excuse me..." ChibiUsa seemed a tad nervous at addressing the tall, formidable Piccolo, but Gohan certainly couldn't blame her: even after everything Gohan and Piccolo had gone through together over the times, the young Saiyan sometimes couldn't stay calm when facing the Namek. "Who are all of you? And how could you possibly know who my mother is but not know who I am?"   
  
Piccolo lifted his mouth into a small smirk, amused with the confusion of the child.   
  
"Relax, princess, you'll find out soon enough. I will say that we're not the ones you should be fearing," Piccolo responded to her. The smirk vanished from his face as he faced the awe-struck commanders. "Just let Gohan explain what he can while I deal with these fools."   
  
While Piccolo said this, the female relaxed her stance and folded her arms. While the bald titan near her was still on the defensive from Piccolo's appearance, the female had seemingly regained her composure, albeit without the arrogance.   
  
"I take that you are not part of the Crystal Tokyo Special Forces," she concluded as she studied the Namek. "The people of this planet haven't even come close to mastering space travel yet, so they couldn't have found your race's planet. And even still, I didn't even know that there were any warrior Nameks left in the universe. So tell me, where did you and your human friends come from?"   
  
"We've come from nowhere you've ever explored," Piccolo replied sternly. "And you're right: my allegiance doesn't lie with the human defenders of Earth - I fight in the service of the planet itself, and you're going to pay dearly for what you've done with it."   
  
"Prophetic fellow, aren't you?" The bald alien remarked as he checked the damaged scouter on his eye. He guffawed at the blipping digits that flashed across the screen. "Hah! A battle power of only 1500?! You were right, commander, there aren't any warrior Nameks left in the universe, at least any who actually have a decent strength!"   
  
"Oh really?" Piccolo folded his arms leisurely at the insult as Gohan tried hard to suppress a smile. Just like the battle against Nappa on Earth, his mentor had hidden a good share of his power level to fool the aliens' scouters. "Then why don't you tell your friend to step aside and test your strength against me."   
  
"Piccolo...!" Gohan whispered up to him, fearing that the Namek was inviting a double-team assault from both aliens. The Namek quickly stifled the boy's protests with a low wave of his hand.   
  
"Hah! A fanged lizard like you beating me?" The monster cackled as he pounded his armored chest. "I take that you're a little unaware about what kind of destruction I've wreaked around here over the past hour! Take a look around, Namek, and witness the remnants of my onslaught!"   
  
Whether Piccolo did or not, Gohan himself gazed around the ruined street area, and indeed, the armored alien hadn't been kidding about his rampage. Much of the ground was smoking from energy blasts, and the heat of pure ki energy still lingered on the night wind, stinging slightly at his skin. The worst sight on the field was that of freshly killed bodies; there were four of them to be exact. While one of them seemed to have a broken neck, the bodies of the other three had been immolated by ki energy, their burned skin still giving off wisps of black smoke and some of their clothes shredded and burned completely. Gohan's fists tightened as he caught the insidious amount of cockiness displayed on the face of the alien, who was obviously proud of his reign of destruction over the valiant saviors of Earth. Now, Gohan felt his blood beginning to boil, suddenly wishing that he had attacked the aliens full force to exact revenge for ChibiUsa's friends.   
  
"Well, I suppose that such fodder is worth more to a scraggly vermin like you than to a giant like me," Piccolo smirked with mirth as he surveyed the scene. "Is this supposed to impress me? So you managed to overtake a bunch of children who were probably already fatigued enough from battle as it was. For someone with such a boisterous tongue, I'm disappointed by what you claim to be a masterpiece."   
  
"What?!? Why you little..." The bald titan's cockiness faded into rage at Piccolo's response, drawing a bit of a chuckle from Gohan. "I've dealt with your kind before, Namek, and I can assure you of one thing - when I'm finished cracking your bones, you'll be pleading for me to finish you off!"   
  
Piccolo spat forward toward the giant in defiance. The wad of fluid flew through the air and spattered across the dirt-hued cheek of the giant.   
  
"Well, all I've seen is a lot of talk but no action," Piccolo fired back, serving only to infuriate the monster even more. "What's the problem - did those kids wear you out of all of your energy?"   
  
"That does it!" The alien had reached his limit, exerting a small volt of his own ki energy to vaporize the trickling fluid on his cheek. He looked over toward the female, who seemingly appeared amused at the mocking of her partner. "Captain, let me handle this freak! I'm already warmed up from disposing of the Sailor Soldiers - let me get in one last good exercise today!"   
  
The female let out a small sigh of exasperation.   
  
"Fine," She nodded without much concern. "Just make it quick - I'd rather not waste anymore time in attacking the palace than we already have."   
  
"Oh, don't worry, captain," He chuckled as he pounded one meaty fist into his other palm. "This won't take long, I promise you!"   
  
"Gohan..." The boy's focus on the giant was broken as Piccolo talked down to him. "Listen very carefully - while I keep this monster busy, get over to Krillin and get those other Sailor Soldiers out of the way of these freaks."   
  
Gohan was about to protest because of the greater numbers being against his mentor, but he decided against opening his mouth, instead nodding in obedience. The plan was a wise move on Piccolo's part - with the other princesses out of danger, the aliens wouldn't be able to use their lives to tip the scales in their favor.   
  
"ChibiUsa, come with me," Gohan asked of the princess as he turned his gaze toward her. "I might need your help in rescuing your friends."   
  
"Whatever it takes," She immediately agreed with him. She looked over toward the other child, who was still motionless against the wall. "Son Gohan, my friend Hotaru is on the verge of death! We have to get to her first!"   
  
As the giant halted several feet in front of Piccolo, he began gathering his energy, surrounding himself in a crackling field of thunder. His skin began to tingle, electrifying the hairs all over his body. Gohan sensed that his ki level was rising steadily, but Piccolo still looked unimpressed.   
  
"Now, Namek, prepare to join my other fallen opponents!"   
  
The energized Tridyx let out a frightening shockwave as more ki was pumped into his body. But despite the distraction, Gohan could make out a slight nod from the tranquil Namek, and he took his cue, grabbing ChibiUsa's hand and dashing away in the direction of the dying child. Gohan could only hope that they weren't too late...   
  
***   
  
"That guy doesn't know what he's in for..." Krillin muttered to himself as the giant known as Tridyx energized his body with every ounce of power that he had. The light show was a radiant sight, but even still, it was all practically a fireworks display compared to what Piccolo could do.   
  
"Uggh...." A groggy moan coming from nearby alerted his senses. Krillin looked over toward the insect-like alien whom he had effectively KOed only moments ago. Fortunately, the lanky, scale-covered beast was still motionless on the ground - the groan was coming from the Sailor Soldier that the alien had nearly killed. Apparently, the violent blow on the head had been enough to render her unconscious, perhaps with a slight concussion given the size of the insect's forearm and the proximity of the blow.   
  
Krillin bent down over the Sailor Soldier, seeing her bright blue eyes flutter in and out of consciousness periodically. He lightly shook her shoulder, trying to revive her to the point where she could swallow one of the mystical senzu beans that he had gotten from Karin. Though just having one of the earthy beans disappear down her throat would be enough to activate its incredible healing powers, having her swallow one in her state would be a choking hazard.   
  
"Are you okay?" He asked as he shook her lightly. "Come on, answer me!"   
  
His efforts were futile, however, and the Sailor Soldier didn't respond to him at all; she was still hovering in the realm between conscious and unconscious.   
  
Krillin!   
  
Gohan's alerted telepathic cry brought Krillin's head up and in his direction. Gohan and the small girl were now against the ravaged building where the black-haired Sailor Soldier was slumped against. While the girl was shaking her friend almost in a panic in a fervent attempt to revive her, Gohan was staring intently in Krillin's direction, obviously concocting some kind of plan to rescue the other Sailor Soldiers. And when it came to rescuing those in danger, Krillin knew that Gohan - despite his short fuse - always managed to pull through.   
  
I hear you, little buddy. Krillin sent his own telepathic thoughts across to Gohan's mind. Despite the interfering ki from the monster Tridyx, he was pretty certain by the perk of the boy's ears that his message was received. What do you have in mind for helping these princesses out? This one's still out cold thanks to that giant bug...   
  
Krillin felt another echo inside of his mind, hearing Gohan's telepathic words filter into his thoughts.   
  
Let's worry about the senzus later. For now, let's just get all three away from the aliens as soon as possible. Do you think you can get your Sailor Soldier over here? I don't want to chance moving the child with her condition...   
  
No problem. Krillin nodded, lifting the Sailor Soldier up onto his shoulders. Despite her greater height, Krillin's strength was able to support her on his back quite easily. Without using much of his ki, the monk lifted himself into the air and floated slowly toward Gohan's direction, keeping a wary eye on the female, who was watching eagerly as her underling powered up in preparation for his battle against Piccolo.   
  
Go ahead, I won't stop you from saving them.   
  
Another sudden telepathic message took Krillin by surprise, nearly causing him to lose focus and tumble to the ground. The smooth yet dangerous-sounding female voice told Krillin as to who had mentally contacted him. He threw a confused, cautious glance toward the commander, who was still in the same position as she was in before, intercepting the conversation between Krillin and Gohan with incredible ease.   
  
Surprised, I see. I don't blame you - not even your Namek friend seems to be comprehending our powers. But the Sailor Soldiers have already shown their fragility in battle - it doesn't matter to me if they live long enough to watch their saviors perish just as quickly as their friends did.   
  
Krillin didn't bother responding as a small smirk emerged across the woman's face. Sadistic through and through, he had to admit. But even still, the opportunity to save the wounded had presented itself - it wouldn't be worth endangering the chance by provoking the female with words or actions.   
  
He gently set the unconscious Sailor Soldier down in front of Gohan and the two Sailor Soldier children.   
  
"How is she?" Gohan asked as he observed her limp body.   
  
"Just a little banged up from that alien bug," Krillin said as he looked over at the girl that Gohan had saved. She was looking a little peaked and anxious as she tightly squeezed the slender hand of her wounded friend.   
  
"Who's your new friend, Gohan?" Krillin asked, allowing a friendly tone back into his voice.   
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, her name's ChibiUsa," Gohan answered. "She's the daughter of NeoQueen Serenity."   
  
"Daughter?!" Krillin stared closely at the child's appearance, suddenly recalling Serenity's unique hair-style as well as her large eyes that had seemed to speak volumes of purity   
within. The girl - despite her anxious state of mind - still seemed to possess the same gleaming sparkle within her round red eyes. "Yes...yes, now I see! My name's Krillin, your highness, it's good to see that you've survived this battle."   
  
She didn't rise from the side of her friend to offer a formal greeting, but she did manage a smile and a friendly nod.   
  
"It's nice to meet you, Krillin," she said. "And...thank you for saving Sailor Neptune. I don't know what I would do and any more of my friends have died..."   
  
"Don't mention it, your highness," As he talked, Krillin dug into the small leather pouch that was tied to his belt. He retrieved a small, earth-colored bean from the pouch. "And don't worry, Gohan and I aren't about to let those aliens kill any more of your friends."   
  
"What are you doing?" ChibiUsa looked at the bean with confusion. "This isn't the time for a snack!"   
  
"This isn't an ordinary bean, princess. This thing can save her life," Krillin replied as he gently opened the black-haired girl's mouth, placing the tiny bean inside. "I just hope   
she can swallow it..."   
  
Though he didn't want to say it around the already panic-stricken ChibiUsa, Krillin knew that the chances of the child of swallowing the senzu were abysmal considering her   
deteriorated state. Gohan hadn't been kidding when he said that the black-haired Sailor soldier had been close to dying - almost no ki was radiating from her scarred, brazed body, and her deep purple eyes were empty and apathetic underneath her limply hung eyelids. She had to swallow that senzu now if she wanted any hope of living.   
  
His fears seemed to be confirmed, as she didn't respond for several moments after her body had taken in the senzu. But ChibiUsa - in her resolute endeavor to keep her friend alive - patted her gently on the back to get her body's natural impulses to respond to the object in her mouth.   
  
"Come on, Hotaru, please..." A tear dropped from ChibiUsa's cheek as her efforts generated no response from the girl. "Setsuna...Ami...Rei...Makoto...Minako...they're all gone...I can't bear to lose you, too...please!"   
  
Poor kid... Krillin could empathize with her condition of panic. Her plight reminded him of when Dende's father and brother were killed by Dodoria back on Namek and how the hysterical Namek child had desperately tried to revive his brother's smoking body...   
  
The crystal tear dropped away from ChibiUsa's smooth cheek, landing on the razed hand of Hotaru with an inaudible splash. Suddenly, as if by magic, Krillin saw the youth's   
hand squeeze back on ChibiUsa's; her hollow purple eyes gradually came back into focus and suddenly she was blinking, shapes coming into view as she raised her head to glimpse at the world around her. The monk smiled back at Gohan as Hotaru began moving her arms and limbs without any trouble, and the short, shallow rasps that Krillin had noticed before evolved into deep heavy breaths as her rejuvenated lungs basked in the cool refreshing air.   
  
"Ch...ChibiUsa...?" Clear, audible words came out of her mouth. "What's going on? How am I even..."   
  
As ChibiUsa's tear-filled eyes met with her friend's bright gaze, the tense anxiety that had enveloped her dissolved into pure joy.   
  
"Oh, Hotaru!" She threw her arms around her friend, relief sweeping through her. "I can't believe it...you're okay!"   
  
Krillin stood as the two friends rejoiced, turning toward the battlefield toward more pressing matters. Tridyx was nearly finished powering up, as a field of thunder was now completely surrounding his body. His ki level was somewhat greater than the previous time that Krillin had measured it, but even still, Piccolo's power far outweighed it. He'd seen the Namek fighter at full power against Frieza and Garlic Junior - he wouldn't have to go nearly as far to crush the cocky giant.   
  
"What now, Gohan?" Krillin asked as he watched the scene before him. "Should we try to take out that female commander while her back's turned?"   
  
"Hold on a second," Gohan held up his hand to stop Krillin's advance. "There's no sense in leaving the princesses unguarded against a sneak attack. Besides, this Sailor Neptune and the other Sailor Soldier over there are still in a lot of trouble."   
  
Krillin glanced several dozen yards across the street. Another Sailor Soldier - this one with tan hair, a slender body and a gold and blue outfit - was laid out on the cold pavement with spinal and skeletal injuries so severe that she could have very well been paralyzed. The wounds didn't seem to deter the Sailor Soldier's fighting spirit - she was still glancing over toward the small group of newcomers with a fiery, dangerous glare, obviously untrusting of their would-be rescuers. She would be difficult to convince of their good intentions - Krillin saw the same aggressiveness within the wounded Sailor Soldier's dark blue eyes that he had seen within Piccolo and Vegeta.   
  
"She doesn't exactly look too happy to see us," Krillin observed as he knelt down to check on Sailor Neptune. That seemed to cause a hostile reaction from her tan-haired counterpart, as she attempted to lurch forward in their direction, but the weight of her injuries forced her down to the ground and seemed to increase the intensity of her glare even more.   
  
"Sailor Uranus..." ChibiUsa whispered as she observed her friend's seething rage. "Even at the brink of death, you can't put your anger aside..."   
  
"Do you think you'd be able to convince her to let us heal her with a senzu?" Gohan asked with curiosity.   
  
"Yes, I believe so," ChibiUsa nodded. "I don't think you'd have any luck on your own with her - Sailor Uranus would probably just as soon kill you than look at you if she had   
the strength."   
  
"Ah, the friendly type," Krillin forced a smile as he dug into the bag of senzus and pulled out another bean. "Still, we have to help her out, it's what we were brought here to do. Gohan, could you go with her?"   
  
"Of course! You just stay here and take care of these two!" The young Saiyan hybrid replied. "Krillin, could I have one of the senzus? I'd be much more comfortable if I could heal her right away."   
  
Krillin dropped the bean into Gohan's small, outstretched hand.   
  
"Here you go," He conceded as he pulled one more bean from the earthy leather pouch before tying it closed again. "You'd probably have better luck with her anyway,   
considering that the princess is with you. I'll stay here and take care of the other two!"   
  
Gohan nodded in return as he motioned for ChibiUsa to follow him. The young princess did so at once, sprinting ahead of Gohan across the street toward Sailor Uranus. Krillin kept a watchful eye on the aliens as the duo crossed into the path of danger, ready to act if the female went back on her word.   
  
"Um, excuse me..." The quieter, chiming voice of Hotaru interrupted Krillin's concentration as she stood up from her spot on the ground. She'd been awestruck since her miraculous return from the brink of death, and now she seemed composed enough to converse normally. Looking over at her, Krillin saw that the senzu's instantaneous effects had held up - her skin was completely back to normal after being horribly scorched. Though her clothes were still in tatters, the girl's body itself was perfectly healthy, aside from the fact that she was looking as little nervous as she addressed Krillin. "But...who are you? And how...how did you manage to heal me from that monster's energy blast...? I thought for certain that...that..."   
  
"Relax, kid," Krillin put on a pleasant facade to calm the child down. "I can explain all about it while ChibiUsa and Gohan go and help your other friend."   
  
He bent down and inspected Sailor Neptune once again, finding her limp body beginning to stir back to life. From the amount of ki left in her body, Krillin didn't think she needed a senzu - her injuries weren't life-threatening or debilitating at all. She just needed a few minutes to recover from the jolting blow to the head.   
  
"Michiru-mama?" Hotaru bent down next to Sailor Neptune, and though she seemed to assess the injuries the same as Krillin had, the way she referred to her friend surprised the monk somewhat.   
  
"Mama?" He asked Hotaru with intrigue. "Is she your mother, Hotaru?"   
  
"I can explain that later…Krillin," She shook her head as she stared with bold intent into the monk's oval-shaped eyes. "But first, I think you owe all of us something. What did you mean when you said that your little group had been sent here to help us?"   
  
Suddenly, before Krillin could reply, the female managed to pull herself up against the building, her senses returning to her as her eyes fell upon Hotaru.   
  
"H…Hotaru…?" She stammered as she held the back of her head. The improved condition of her 'daughter' seemed to shock her back into reality even faster. "You're okay! Thank goodness, when I got here and saw you I thought--"   
  
She stopped herself as she noticed the small monk standing near Hotaru.   
  
"You…" She began as she studied Krillin carefully. "Where did you come from? Are you the one who saved Hotaru?"   
  
"Most of the credit for that should go to Gohan and your princess," Krillin nodded over to the pair, who had made it halfway to the last wounded Sailor Soldier by now. Hotaru was keeping an eye on their situation, watching out for any possible ambushes, though she seemed to be eyeing the Saiyan hybrid in particular. "You were already out by the time I managed to ambush that alien bug, but I laid him out before he could kill you."   
  
"So, you're the one who stopped the alien from killing me," The Sailor Soldier groggily shook her head, still feeling the effects of the heavy forearm smash from the alien insect. "I thank you…but just who exactly are you and that boy?"   
  
Krillin took a deep breath as he readied himself for the monstrous explanation that was to follow. He could only hope that they could catch up with the queen so she could confirm their story - the last thing he wanted was being turned on by the people they had come to save.   
  
***   
  
Beyond the brilliant lightning storm originating from the alien giant, Piccolo's sharp eyes spotted two small figures sprinting across the road in the distance, away from the distracted gazes of the enemies. The last wounded Sailor Soldier was collapsed several yards away from there, and thanks to Gohan's efforts, she would live. With that problem aside, he could focus on the large obstacle in front of him.   
  
Tridyx was certainly brutish enough to ensure a good warm-up exercise - considering the devastation that he had caused in the previous fight, the skirmish would be very interesting.   
  
But that's all it will be. Piccolo allowed a small, mischievous smirk to creep into his face as he measured the alien's ki within his senses. Even at half power, this weakling wouldn't last two minutes against me. But I think I'll lay low for a bit, see how these aliens fight and what makes them tick. If they ARE anything like Frieza, then there may be more to this than we thought...   
  
That thought had lingered in the back of his mind since spotting the first few armored soldiers upon their arrival. After hearing Krillin's suggestion that they were linked to the deceased warlord, he couldn't seem to shake the notion despite Vegeta's unruly objections. He'd have to draw his own conclusions from what he saw from Tridyx. If the fighting styles matched what Gohan had once told him about Frieza's soldiers and commanders, then things could've taken a huge turn.   
  
Finally, after a few more moments, the black and purple lightning compressed itself into a tight field around the armored Tridyx's body, and Piccolo could pick out the titan's beady, coal-black eyes as he bent his knees.   
  
"Now, Namek..." Tridyx's voice boomed over the thunder. "It's time for you to die!"   
  
Using his amassed ki energy, Tridyx sprung away from his position toward Piccolo. The Namek saw the move easily enough and bounded into the air to avoid an energized roundhouse.   
  
"Not bad," Piccolo muttered. Tridyx had been a bit faster than he had anticipated.   
  
Tridyx followed Piccolo's aerial escape path, blazing through the sky like a sparking comet.   
  
"So, you want to play, do you?" Piccolo chuckled as he observed Tridyx's cocky grin. Repressing his power level had completely fooled the alien's scouter, just like Gohan and Krillin had done on Namek back in their era. It was good to see that some things hadn't changed with the times. "Then let's see what you've got."   
  
Piccolo slowed his momentum, ready to meet the awesome force rocketing in his direction.   
  
"Ah, so you've chosen to embrace your coming death!" Tridyx bellowed as he drew back his huge fist. "A very wise move!"   
  
The incoming swing was deftly dodged by Piccolo, much to Tridyx's surprise. Undaunted, the alien fired another roundhouse that grazed the Namek's turban.   
  
"Hold still, you little fly!"   
  
Tridyx launched a barrage of energized right hands toward the smirking Namek, and all Piccolo had to do was calmly duck and weave in between the monstrous fists without being singed by the radiant thunder. With his keen senses and sharp eyesight, the incoming swings were easy enough to avoid, though by the increasing intensity and anger on Tridyx's face, he was throwing huge quantities of his reserves into every punch.   
  
"You're looking a little winded, my friend," Piccolo threw out the taunt as another roundhouse sailed past his face. "Have those kids slowed you down that much?"   
  
As Tridyx angrily drew back another fist, Piccolo threw up a quick jab that caught the unsuspecting brute square across the jaw, throwing him backward.   
  
"Why you...!" Tridyx held up an open palm, concentrating enough energy to form a sparking purple ki ball. "Take this!!"   
  
He flicked the ki ball off his hand like a discus, sending it spinning in Piccolo's direction.   
  
"Nice try..." Piccolo pumped his own energy into his two hands and held them forward, catching the volatile energy of the sphere within his grasp. Using a good amount of force, he managed to propel the sphere back in Tridyx's direction. The monster didn't anticipate the counter, as the orb exploded directly in his face. "Now let me show you how it's done!"   
  
While Tridyx was clutching his burnt face in pain, Piccolo air-dashed forward and delivered a hard elbow into his exposed midsection that easily shattered through his black armor. As the chunks and pieces flew through the air, the giant lost his breath from the jarring blow, falling backward while spluttering and gasping for a breath. Piccolo took the opportunity to deliver a solid double sledge to the back of Tridyx's neck, sending the giant down into the street with a sickening crash.   
  
"That was almost too easy," Piccolo muttered as he stared down at the smoking crater. That certainly wasn't enough to kill Tridyx - Piccolo hadn't been packing enough power behind the blows to shatter any vital body parts. He casually crossed his arms and floated down to the top of one of the decrepit buildings, waiting for the giant to resurface from the ground.   
  
It only took several seconds for a thundering crackle to pierce through the cloud of thick dust. Moments later, a flashing figure punched through the cloud, shooting up in the air like a bullet. Observing the seething rage that had replaced the arrogance on Tridyx's face was a mirthful sight to behold.   
  
"Namek scum...!!!" He roared as he cupped both of his hands together and forced all of his ki energy - which included the electrical field around him - into his palms. Seconds later, a huge column of energy exploded from Tridyx's hands and tore into the top of the building where Piccolo was standing. He immediately felt the ground where he was standing on being vaporized and had to quickly suspend himself in the air while readying himself for a defense. The Namek felt the brute force of the blast impacting him from all sides, the searing heat escaping a bit into the hastily erected ki shield and burning his garments.   
  
However, Piccolo had felt the same type of ki build-up while approaching the battlefield - the first time, it had resulted in a monstrous explosion that had evaporated a few of the pure kis along with it. That recognition could've very well saved his life. Now that he was using a good portion of his ki energy to keep the beam from melting him into oblivion, Piccolo's respect for Tridyx went up a small notch. He also had to give the Sailor Soldiers a bit more credit for their own efforts, despite the end result of the fight.   
  
After about an entire minute of enduring the fierce heat of the beam attack, Piccolo felt the intensity beginning to wear away as the purple energy dissipated, giving way to the   
black night sky. Lowering his arms and releasing himself from his defenses, Piccolo gazed up and saw the fatigued mug of the giant alien staring at the unscathed Namek floating among the wisps of smoke that occupied the space where the building once stood.   
  
"Heh, you're not bad after all…" He huffed. "That beam was packing more punch than the one I wiped those kids out with earlier…"   
  
"I'm insulted that you're fighting me along the same lines as you would a bunch of children," Piccolo snuffed at he emitted a small concussion wave of energy from body, shuddering the ground but blowing away the annoying smoke trails. "But look at you now: you've been worn down to the point where you can't use half of the energy you fired that beam with. I can see it in you, do you know that?"   
  
"Bah! Nonsense," Tridyx snorted, tapping the scouter on his eye. "You can't fool me - the only way you can read energy levels is with one of these devices, it's impossible to scan them with just your mind alone."   
  
Piccolo folded his arms casually and laughed.   
  
"Who said I was scanning your energy level? I can tell just be looking at you: out of breath, bleeding and bruised, no external energy anymore, even a child could tell that you're on the verge of exhaustion."   
  
"Me, exhausted...?!" Tridyx growled as he clenched his fists, causing them to spark with raw electricity. "I can still fly circles around you with my power! And I'll prove it to you; let's see if you're defenses can handle this!"   
  
Two more flaming balls of ki exploded onto his palms, and Tridyx was quick to hurl them in Piccolo's direction in his rage. The two projectiles was so hastily aimed that Piccolo   
could easily dodge them by air-dashing off to the side.   
  
"Not bad, but let's see you take this!"   
  
Piccolo saw that Tridyx had generated two more fireballs in his palms, these more bigger and containing more ki than the first pair.   
  
He doesn't quit... Piccolo shook his head, readying himself for another assault. But his patterns, his attitude, his techniques…I hope it's just coincidence…   
  
***   
  
"He's playing with him," Gohan paused in the middle of his run to catch a small glimpse of the fight between Piccolo and the alien Tridyx. He could tell that his master was easily concealing the lion's share of his ki, not wanting to alarm the aliens of their true power.   
  
And if Piccolo went full circle with his energy, even Tridyx would be panicked to no end. But as to why Piccolo wanted his power to be kept secret was still a mystery to Gohan.   
If he could finish the alien with a little more effort than he was showing, why didn't he do it and end the threat?   
  
"Son Gohan!" ChibiUsa's voice drew him away from his curiosities and toward the body sprawled across the jagged, cracked pavement. The tall Sailor Soldier was trying her hardest to move, but from the wild crookedness of the middle of her back, Gohan knew from his studying of the human anatomy that her spine and much of the lower portion of her body had been obliterated from a solid thundering blow.   
  
Gohan jogged toward the Sailor Soldier, approaching with slight caution as the female raised her head.   
  
"Get away from me!" She shouted out in between her heavy breathing, causing Gohan to halt in his step. "You damn aliens...what right do you have interfering in our fight?!"   
  
"Sailor Uranus, stop it!" ChibiUsa cried out as she bent down to look into her comrade's eyes. "How could you talk to him like that, especially after what you saw him do for me, Michiru, and Hotaru?? This boy is here to help us, Haruka--"   
  
Sailor Uranus looked unconvinced as she gazed back at the princess.   
  
"You don't know what you're talking about," she growled. "We have dealt with opponents who've stooped to more devious levels than this to destroy us…you weren't there for the encounter with Mistress Nine!"   
  
"Hey, hold on a second," Gohan backed away a step, trying to appear innocent and respectful. "I know that our coming here all of a sudden seems really suspicious, but I can promise you that we are here to help you if you are willing to accept--"   
  
"A warrior like me, accept help from an alien, especially a child?!" She snapped back at him.   
  
Gohan glanced at ChibiUsa, who seemed insulted herself by the remark. He decided to ignore the jab - if he responded with hostility, things would only become worse.   
  
"I'll prove it to you," Gohan said as he opened up his palm and revealed the oval-shaped senzu bean that he had gotten from Krillin's bag. "I can prove our intentions with this. Eat this and it'll completely heal all of your injuries and restore all of your strength."   
  
He cautiously bent down toward the ailing Sailor Uranus, extending the bean toward her. As he expected though, the stubborn woman wasn't accepting the generous offer, spitting at Gohan's outstretched hand.   
  
"Sailor Uranus!!" ChibiUsa reacted to her comrade's tenacious resistance with a flare of anger. "That does it, I don't care how you feel about Son Gohan or his friends, but as your princess, I'm ordering you to swallow that bean!"   
  
The previously tenacious Sailor Soldier now seemed to be crestfallen as her princess's words. She gazed up toward the unwavering girl with scorn playing across her eyes.   
  
"So, you would give so much faith to these foreigners but doubt those who have fought with you for so long…?"   
  
The princess stood her ground, with her hands on her hips and a stern expression. That only served to agitate Sailor Uranus even more, and Gohan watched as she shook her head toward ChibiUsa, her hard gaze softening a bit.   
  
"You disappoint me, princess."   
  
With that, she plucked the senzu bean from Gohan's grasp and dropped it into her mouth, chewing and swallowing it in a few seconds. Apparently, her loyalty to the crown was easily enough to outweigh her personal rage.   
  
Within seconds, Sailor Uranus was standing on her feet, her back straight and her other minor injuries completely healed by the effects of the senzu. Even the stubborn Sailor Soldier seemed to have a hard time admitting to herself - or to Gohan for that matter - that he'd kept true to his word.   
  
"Sailor Uranus?" ChibiUsa broke her concentration as she was inspecting her newly-healed body. Instead of looking back at the princess, Sailor Uranus stared down at Gohan with a neutral expression, wordless and motionless.   
  
Gohan offered up a friendly smile to her, trying to show relief that she was okay. In his mind, they had to win the respect of the princesses over as quickly as possible if they were to succeed in fighting back the alien force - neither team could win without the support of the other.   
  
Folding her arms, Sailor Uranus spoke at him directly, not mincing words.   
  
"Alright, you've convinced me that I should trust you for the time being," She said. "I already learned of who you were from Sailor Pluto, though I never expected that a child   
such as you would be among Earth's greatest champions of the past."   
  
"Um, excuse me!" ChibiUsa snapped at her comrade. "What do you think I am, Haruka?!"   
  
Haruka - the Sailor Soldier's human name, Gohan presumed - glanced back at the girl.   
  
"This is no time for petty whining, princess!" She coldly replied. Gohan saw that the tone in her voice had chilled any anger in the princess, who looked hurt at Sailor Uranus's   
bitterness toward her.   
  
She maintained that icy voice as she returned her attention to him.   
  
"In any event, is your partner over there going to heal Sailor Neptune?"   
  
Gohan nodded again, looking over to see the green-haired Sailor Soldier slowly but steadily standing up, recovering from the blow from the insect alien.   
  
"It looks like she's okay, I don't think we'll need to use a--"   
  
He was suddenly jerked forward as Sailor Uranus grabbed him by the collar of his gi. She stared him in the face with fiery anger as he struggled to breathe.   
  
"Look, if you want to prove your worth to me, then I want you to heal her!" She hissed. "Not one bone in her body is to be bruised when you get done with her, understand?"   
  
Gohan managed to force a nod, causing the Sailor Soldier to release him. He stumbled back onto the ground to catch his breath.   
  
"Well then, shall we get moving before any more of us die?" She spoke down to him with sarcasm dripping in her voice. Without another word, she darted forward across the road toward where Krillin and the others were.   
  
Gohan picked himself up off of the pavement, a little more than resentful toward Sailor Uranus for her ice-queen, holier-than-thou attitude. After all, they had practically saved her life as well as her friends…how paranoid could a person be after witnessing that?   
  
"Forgive her, Son Gohan," ChibiUsa helped him up, staring after Sailor Uranus with disappointment and frustration playing across her deep red eyes.   
  
"Does she act this way around every guest you guys get?" He puffed as he straightened his wrinkled gi.   
  
"In a situation like this, I'm afraid so," ChibiUsa explained. "Some of her paranoia is residual anger from today…the rest of it I'm afraid she's had all along. Her pride has nearly   
killed her more than once in her life."   
  
"Then let's get back there before Krillin has to deal with her on his own," Gohan suggested. He started forward, but he turned back to the princess with a pleasant little smile. "Oh, and ChibiUsa, call me Gohan. There's no need to be proper around me."   
  
ChibiUsa returned a nervous smile.   
  
"Okay…Gohan. Let's go!"   
  
Watching for any surprise attacks, the pair dashed across the street.   
  
***   
  
Slowly, but surely, Tridyx was wearing down. While Piccolo still had more than enough power to continue his defense tactics until he was ready to strike against the giant, the energy discs being tossed out by Tridyx were getting slower little by little and becoming much easier to dodge.   
  
I'll give him just a few minutes more. Piccolo decided as he batted away another enery disc with his forearm. He had already concluded to himself that the style of the fighting that Tridyx was employing was quite similar to what Frieza and his commanders could do - which was all that he needed to know for future reference - but with Tridyx's dwindling strength and his stubborn nature, Piccolo highly doubted that he would be able to get anything else out of him relating to Frieza.   
  
"Bastard!!!" Tridyx screamed as he began launching multiple blasts of gold ki from the palms of his hands. "Hold still, so I can kill you!!"   
  
"This is getting nowhere," Piccolo muttered to himself, as he extended his arms around and put up a strong ki shield that did the job of deflecting whatever blasts came too close   
to hitting him. "At least he gave me a few close calls earlier, but now he's nothing but hot air."   
  
"Tridyx!!" A call from the ground caused the ki barrage to cease and Tridyx to turn his attention to his commander. Piccolo saw that the green insect alien had recovered from his jarring blow from Krillin and had joined the female commander to recollect himself. "What the hell's wrong with you?! You haven't even touched him yet, and according to my scouter, your power level is much higher than his!!"   
  
"I…I'm sorry…commander," Tridyx nervously answered her. "But please, give me some more time, I swear I can destroy him…!"   
  
"Bah!" The insectoid grumbled toward his counterpart. "You could barely take care of the Sailor Soldiers without getting yourself killed on more than one occasion. If it were in charge of their demise, we'd have flattened the palace and be long gone by now!!"   
  
"You? In charge?" Tridyx yelled back to him as Piccolo folded his arms patiently, laughing to himself as the underlings bickered. Whenever petty verbal sniping broke through the surface of cool tempers in combat, it was the biggest sign that things were beginning to fall apart between those individuals. "Hah! That's funny, I think that you were the one who was blind-sided by that little human midget a little while ago!"   
  
"Enough!!" She snapped back at both of them. "We've wasted too much time out here in this skirmish when we should have been claiming the palace!! Your time is up, Tridyx, now get down here before you disgrace us even more. I'll finish this Namek scum myself."   
  
"Hmm…this could be interesting," Piccolo gathered as he scanned the female commander with his senses. Her battle power was enormous compared to Tridyx, and what more, it didn't seem like she'd been engaged in battle against the Sailor Soldiers at all up to this point, which meant she'd be fresh and untested.   
  
The titan, of course, wasn't too pleased with his commander's orders.   
"Of course, commander…" he grumble with a sneer. Turning back toward Piccolo, Tridyx began to laugh wildly. "Boy, are you in for it now! Nobody has ever come close to beating Commander Infernia, and when she's done breaking your bones, I'll be the one personally crushing your skull…"   
  
He spat at Piccolo one more time before descending toward the ground.   
  
Suddenly, before Infernia could even get the chance to power up, a two good-sized bright gold beams rocketed down from the sky, slamming into the ground only a few feet away from Infernia and sending the unexpecting commander and her ally soaring into the air into one of the base of one of the remaining buildings surrounding the area.   
  
Tridyx was awestruck as he spotted his comrades crashing into the structure, freezing in mid-air.   
  
"What the hell…?! It can't be…"   
  
Piccolo smirked as he spotted Tenshinhan and Chaozu floating about a hundred yards away from them, energy sparking around their bodies and showing great satisfaction in   
their successful strike.   
  
"Did you miss us, Piccolo?" A voice asked him as a well-built figure shot up from the ground and up into the air next to him. "Sorry we took so long, those soldiers were everywhere."   
  
"Is that so, Yamcha?" Piccolo was unsurprised. "That's why I chose the slower course of action that we took to get here on time. But fortunately, Gohan's hasty deviation did produce some rewards this time - he managed to save the queen's daughter from being killed."   
  
"A shame we can't say that about the ones we did lose…although as long as we did manage to save some survivors as opposed to none, it was worth the effort," Yamcha replied, looking over at Tridyx, who was still awestruck at the sudden arrival of three more unknown powers. "I take that this is the guy who killed those princesses?"   
  
"And he's proud of it, as well," Piccolo responded as he gazed slit-eyed at the bewildered giant. "But he has nothing left anymore. I took whatever the Sailor Soldiers didn't take out of him earlier."   
  
"Impressive," Yamcha nodded as he glanced down at Gohan's small group below. "Well, you got to him first, so I'll give you the pleasure of finishing the job; I'll check on the others."   
  
"Yamcha!" Piccolo called to him quickly, remembering an important detail that he wanted to know. "Where is Vegeta? I haven't seen him here yet. Didn't he come with all of   
you?"   
  
"He stayed back a bit more to deal with a few more soldiers, but I can feel his energy approaching the area right now. He'll be here shortly."   
  
Piccolo gave him a quick nod, a bit more relieved to confirm the Saiyan's activities, and Yamcha rocketed down and out of sight, leaving a smirking Piccolo alone with Tridyx.   
  
"Now, what were you saying?" He called across to Tridyx. "Looks like you're all mine now, friend!"   
  
Before Tridyx could respond, Piccolo finally began summoning the dormant power within him. A small field of energy enveloped his body, making his muscles tense and tighten from the ki flowing into them.   
  
I think I'll show our new allies what they've invested their trust in… He smirked to himself once again, letting all of his ki energy flow out of his reserves and into every cell in his body in one instant, not hiding any more of his power. Growling as more and more energy entered into his being, Piccolo felt more comfortable by the second. That's it…I forgot what it felt like to be at maximum power…I hope our 'clients' are impressed…   
  
With a mighty roar, ki energy exploded out of Piccolo's form in a radiant white light, shaking the ground below him and forcing away the small wisps of excess smoke around them.   
  
Tridyx, who was looking at blinking digits into his cracked scouter, couldn't believe what he was seeing.   
  
"No…impossible…it must be broken…y,yes…it must be!!"   
  
Piccolo relaxed his stance, white ki energy flowing from his body like sunlight.   
  
"Still so confident in your worthless skills, Tridyx?" He sniped at him at he floated a bit closer to the paralyzed alien. "Well, why don't I share a secret with you? The power you've been contending with up until now has been nothing compared to what I can do in this form. I just wanted to see how weak you truly were and how much more satisfying it would be when I killed you at my maximum power."   
  
"No….it…can…not…" Suddenly, he snapped out of his stupor and charged whatever energy he had left in his body and glared toward Piccolo. "No!! You're not stronger than me, you Namek bastard! I'll crush you and all of your friends!!"   
  
"Fool, your time has come!" Piccolo air-dashed forward at rapid speed before Tridyx could charge any more energy into his body, and he slammed his elbow into Tridyx's midsection before the alien could even blink. Piccolo felt the alien's exposed midsection cave in upon the impact and heard the satisfying sound of Tridyx's ribs being shattered. He felt spittle and blood splashing down on him from Tridyx's mouth, and he smiled as he gazed up at the spluttering alien. "I'll see you in Hell, Tridyx."   
  
As Tridyx was stunned, Piccolo brought up his free hand and placed the two forefingers against his midsection.   
  
"Wait….s…top…!!" Tridyx wheezed, his energy too far gone to fight back against the Namek's power. "Don't…kill…me!!!"   
  
"Makankosappo!!!"   
  
The effect was instantaneous, as a corkscrew beam shot out from Piccolo's fingers, easily and quickly punching through Tridyx's soft exposed belly and exiting through his lower back. The force from the blast rocketed Tridyx backwards through the air as blood flew out from the gaping holes in his back, mouth, and stomach. His energy shattered completely, Tridyx fell like a stone to the ground below, landing flat on his back on the rooftop of a small building as a low gurgling noise escaped his mouth.   
  
He casually drifted over to the structure, where the disheveled Tridyx was laying motionless, blood seeping out from underneath his broken body. Piccolo smirked at his work - the scum had never seen any of it coming. It was always satisfying to see arrogant, self-elevated warriors like Tridyx brought down so convincingly, especially when Piccolo got to do it himself.   
  
As he began charging a sparking energy orb in his left palm, Piccolo saw the fallen warrior lifting his head up, staring with unfocused bloodshot eyes up at the victor of the fight.   
  
"Bas…tard…." He coughed up another gob of blood. "Who…the hell…are you….?! Where did you…come from…"   
  
Piccolo paused briefly, letting the red-gold sphere hover above his palm, enough energy contained in it to obliterate the building and anything in or on it.   
  
"Who am I?" He replied to Tridyx. "I'm more than just a 'fanged lizard', friend. I am a Namek of the past Earth, and long ago, I swore that I would do anything in my power to protect this planet, no matter what era of time and no matter what kind of enemies I would have to go through."   
  
He suddenly thrusted his palm forward, the energy orb glaring brighter than before.   
  
"My name is Piccolo, and I AM power!!"   
  
Piccolo launched the orb from his hand toward the alien, who looked to be too weak and beaten to even move. As Tridyx let out one last strangled scream, the sphere connected   
with its intended target, and the resulting explosion was enough to create a monstrous column of red-gold energy that incinerated the entire structure…and Tridyx along with it.   
  
As the smoke and wind kicked up by the blast ruffled Piccolo's cloak and turban, the Namek gazed down at the survivors of the battle who had taken cover behind another building to shield themselves from the explosion. He wondered what their new clients thought of that little demonstration. Of course, considering the newly resurgent energy he had sensed in the surviving Sailor Soldiers when the senzus healed them, Tridyx wouldn't have posed much a problem for much longer anyhow even if he, Gohan, and Krillin didn't show up to bail them out.   
  
They must've been worn out coming into this fight if they couldn't take care of him with that much power. Piccolo concluded. Interesting…if the dead ones were the same way, things would've been more intriguing than they already are. And if they can't read energies like we can, then we will be the only one who will know of this…I'll have to keep a close eye on these Sailor Soldiers during this whole ordeal. But in due time…   
  
Piccolo decided to check on the Sailor Soldier and regroup with the others first. With the entire team together, there would be time to deal with his concerns later.   
  
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a streaking comet halted a short distance away, and Piccolo was none too pleased to see Vegeta make his arrival to the field.   
  
The Saiyan prince halted in front of him, turning his attention to the burning column before them.   
  
"Don't tell me you managed to maul them so easily," Vegeta commented as he noticed Piccolo's lack of fatigue. "If that's the case, then I'll be terribly disappointed in this whole excursion - I was expecting at least a little bit of challenge from these aliens."   
  
"Don't worry," Piccolo replied without casting his gaze on the prince. Instead, he was focusing his senses on the damaged building where the other aliens had been catapulted into by Tenshinhan and Chaozu. The energies were stunned, but very much alive, and seething with rage to boot. They wouldn't be contained inside those buildings for much longer. "There's plenty of better competition still left."   
  
***   
  
Sailor Uranus released herself from her cling to the building's side as the concussion wave from the green warrior's energy blast dissipated. Her muscles gradually untensed as she stepped forward on the street to survey what had just happened. As she stared at the smoldering column of energy in absolute awe, a train of thoughts raced through her head. Aside from being incredulous and even somewhat jealous at the green warrior's incredible amount of power, she found her mind numb, in a state of shock that it had never been in before.   
  
She suddenly felt a gentle hand grip onto hers. Looking over, she saw the concerned face of Sailor Neptune staring back into her. She obviously felt what she was feeling regarding these strange new warriors.   
  
Uranus gripped Neptune's hand tightly, staring up at the stoic face of the green warrior. Amazingly, he didn't seem to be even breathing heavily after easily dispatching of the seemingly invincible Tridyx. It was incomprehensible…almost unreal that such a powerful being could exist, especially on Earth of the past…   
  
As the fire blazed high in the night sky, Sailor Uranus gazed over toward the dead body of Sailor Pluto.   
  
"Setsuna…" She whispered. "What kind of curse have you brought upon us…? You brought them here…you said you knew what they were capable of…but you couldn't have imagined something like this, could you?! Why the hell have you condemned us to death, Setsuna?! Why didn't you know…"   
  
The silent corpse of Setsuna Meioh had no answer, and as the green warrior and his other flying comrades descended to the ground, she felt her blood starting to boil.   
  
"Haruka…" Sailor Neptune murmured to her. "Calm down, please. Remember, it wasn't just Setsuna who decided to bring these warriors forward to this era. The queen has faith in them, and they did save our lives, after all. Try to have faith in her Majesty…give these warriors a chance."   
  
Sailor Uranus turned sharply to Neptune, scowling.   
  
"Michiru…I can't and I won't just trust them on a whim. You know as well as I do that they could very well be just leading us into a deathtrap of their own devising. The fact that they didn't get here in time to help before the Inners were killed is proof of that…they may have given our lives back to destroy them by their own hands."   
  
Neptune motioned back to the princess and Sailor Saturn, who were watching alongside the three aliens called Son Gohan, Yamcha, and Krillin as the rest of their would-be rescuers descended to the ground near them.   
  
"For their sake then, Haruka…" she squeezed her beloved's hand, trying to soften Uranus's hard demeanor. "The princess and Hotaru seem to trust at least the first two who came to our aid, and for better reason than the others since they saved all four of us…can you at least tolerate them for now, until we can figure out what to do from here? The queen is still captive, and now the Inners as well as Setsuna are dead. We may need them to reinforce us while we think about a strategy with the king."   
  
Looking over at the princess and Hotaru, they did seem relieved as well as renewed upon seeing the murderer of their friends being utterly annihilated by the green one. They were smiling brightly, as if a piece of the war had been laid to rest with Tridyx's death. The glimmer of brightness in the dim times of battle managed to persuade Sailor Uranus for the time being.   
"Very well…I'll tolerate them for their sakes, Michiru, but nothing more," Sailor Uranus conceded. "They're nothing but foreigners to Earth as I see it, and I'll treat them as such   
until I can be sure of their intentions."   
  
The cloaked green warrior finally descended to the ground, with a muscular three-eyed man and a smaller child-sized figure landing right next to him. The shorter armored warrior dropped behind the trio at a small distance. At first, Uranus thought it was one of the enemy soldiers upon seeing his armored garb, but from the relaxed stances of the trio before her, he was clearly with them.   
  
"Shall we?" Neptune offered, knowing that their 'saviors' probably wanted to talk with them first-hand about their arrival and status.   
  
Uranus returned a nod. Taking a deep breath and connecting with the green warrior's iron eyes, she released Michiru's hand and proceeded forward, praying that her beloved's faith in the queen's choice was well-founded…


	9. A Shaky Alliance

Chapter 9: A Shaky Alliance  
  
So, these are the best fighters that the future has to offer? Vegeta thought he was going to throw up in disgust as he examined the four surviving Sailor Soldiers. For crying out loud, they're a bunch of children! It's no wonder that this planet is in shambles right now…  
  
Not that he cared or felt any kind of sympathy about Earth's disheveled condition - the planet trade business had shown him far worse looking planets than this, and he wasn't too interested in the planet or the ruined kingdom at the moment. He would let those other fools deal with the sentimental and heroic garbage - he had other thoughts on his mind, mainly the aliens. Before stepping into the time gate, he'd made it a prime objective to rid himself of the aliens now in order to save himself the trouble when Earth was part of his conquered empire in the future. However, the actions of the invaders since their arrival had sparked more curiosity within the Saiyan prince that made the expedition all the more interesting.  
  
Slaughtering and pillaging in such a methodic manner…possessing the same energy manipulation and fighting techniques as ourselves…finding the armored soldiers with such striking resemblance…Vegeta had been mulling over the implications even after dispatching another round of attacking soldiers only minutes ago. The recent string of evidence - including the mass execution inside one of the initial buildings that they'd found upon their arrival - was beginning to worry him slightly. Why did these aliens possess such a striking resemblance to Frieza's forces back in their time period?  
  
Though he'd initially denied the idea with vehemence, he'd been forced to consider the evidence before him, of how similar in style, apparel, and technique a lot of the soldiers had been to Frieza's old army. The only conflicting element that dropped the theory completely in Vegeta's mind was the fact that he knew Frieza's head war generals all too well.  
  
They would take to fighting among themselves for power and control of territories after their master's death, and the empire would fall apart. He concluded. That has to be true…I followed those commanders too well to be mistaken. The empire and its army must be long dead by now.   
  
So, the idea of Frieza's empire surviving centuries after Frieza's death was out. But then, why was there so much similarity between the fighting styles of the soldiers in both groups? They were practically mirror images…there had to be a connection as far as he was concerned.  
  
"Wait…no, it couldn't be him…" Vegeta's thoughts suddenly stopped on a particular person that could have fit the bill for the alien leader, somebody he knew from his youth that had gotten his hands on the resources that would explain the mysterious coincidences, but the thought quickly vanished. "No, that's impossible, he couldn't be alive. Those ideas that he had were ridiculous…even the thought of genetic engineering being perfected…"  
  
Vegeta stopped himself in the middle of his thought, not wanting to believe the impossible. That crazy lunatic from years ago couldn't have been right about his theories and technology.   
  
But if it is him by an off chance…He mused as he clenched his fist. Then I owe him a little something for taking advantage of our race and playing us for fools…  
  
But for now, he decided to focus on the situation at hand. Although he could've cared less how many of the princesses were left, he did need at least one alive so he could obtain some kind of current knowledge about the aliens' activities in the time period, and more specifically, he needed to know where their soldiers were hiding so he could personally root them out and eradicate them completely. If it meant playing friendly and benevolent with those children and their kingdom to get what he needed, then he could deal with that.  
  
"Hold on…" he muttered to himself as he thoroughly examined the Sailor Soldiers again, something ringing in the back of his thoughts about their appearance and the pure energy radiating from them. For some reason, he felt like he'd seen them - or at least people in similar garb - at some point during his lifetime. At first, he shook it off -after all, he had lead the conquering of countless planets under Frieza, and it was easy to mix up--  
  
Wait…!!  
  
Suddenly, the images started coming back to him, the sights from his youth becoming clearer. And now he knew why the 'Sailor Soldier' title that was explained by the Earth's Namek guardian had sounded somewhat familiar to him.   
  
Those outfits…the crystal pure energy…no, could they possibly be…?! A large smile of surprise appeared on Vegeta's face, things now looking incredibly interesting. So, our old 'friends' of the Silver Millennium DID survive the attack by the Dark Kingdom! They must've somehow survived the disaster and found their way to Earth…  
  
He could remember a few visits to the Silver Millennium with his father during his youth, mostly for trade agreements and similar diplomatic appointments with the royal family. However, for other Saiyans, a journey to the Silver Millennium during their lifetime was meant solely to get a set of custom-made battle armor that was forged from the finest materials in the galaxy, all of which the Silver Millennium had sole claim over. Of course, the people doing the selling had never been terrific company. The peace-loving do-gooders of the Silver Millennium always looked down upon what they thought of as 'savage, uncivilized beasts' in the Saiyans, and the queen of the kingdom was no exception. Even Vegeta's father, the king, hadn't been allowed into the court unless under heavy guard because of the superiority complex and paranoia of the royalty.   
  
However, Vegeta had been extremely upset about the fate of the Silver Millennium when he had heard of its fall to the Dark Kingdom…extremely upset that he hadn't gotten his hands on that prized battle armor, that is. The fall happened nearly one year before Frieza brought the same fate to Vegeta's home planet, and although the Saiyan prince couldn't figure out how the Sailor Soldiers had survived the destruction of their old kingdom and found their way to Earth to build a new one, he knew that he would be in for a treat if those two Sailor Soldiers recognized him and remembered the rivalry between their two races.  
  
"Hah, they wouldn't even look at us because they reviled us so much…petty children," Vegeta snickered as his smile spread outward. He supposed that while he couldn't kill the brats, it didn't mean that he couldn't show up members of the court of the deceased Silver Millennium with his awesome might.  
  
Vegeta decided to relax himself a bit, letting his tension and anxiety slip away as he stared at the Sailor Soldiers. It was rare that he could showcase his power in front of people who would despise it the most, and he could get a small measure of psychological revenge against those saintly princesses all while eliminating threats to his future rule at the same time.  
  
Still though… He pondered. The Earth guardian said that the Sailor Soldiers came after we did…if they had gotten to Earth after the Dark Kingdom's attack, how did they surface on the planet only after my lifetime?  
  
It had to have been a magic trick as far as he could've guessed. The royalty of the Silver Millennium did possess such unique and fascinating power. Perhaps their queen had allowed them to take on new forms once they reached Earth so the Dark Kingdom couldn't track any survivors of their attack. He surmised that keeping them hidden and protected even from the affects of time for months, perhaps years wasn't beyond their reach either, letting them take on new lives decades after their kingdom was destroyed. That would explain how they came to exist to Earth even after his extended life as a Saiyan.  
  
"Well, little girls, there will be no smoke and mirrors this time," he snickered to himself. "I've always wondered how the royalty would react if their greatest anti-ally showed his face to them again…"   
  
For the first time in a while, Vegeta felt at ease. Things were going to be immensely enjoyable from there on out.   
  
***  
  
"What do you think about this one, ChibiMoon?" Sailor Saturn asked as Krillin and Gohan went over to converse with the taller man who'd touched down shortly before Piccolo had obliterated Tridyx. They hadn't gotten a chance to talk previously because they'd all been forced to take cover after the aftershock of Piccolo's deathblow to the giant alien. "ChibiMoon?"  
  
The princess's silence was more than explained as Saturn looked over and saw her staring off in the direction of Son Gohan, her eyes sparkling and a small smile across her face. Sailor Saturn rolled her eyes; she'd seen this out of the princess before. Every time a boy showed her at least a small amount of kindness, she become attached to him, and apparently Son Gohan playing the part of hero was more than enough to infatuate the princess. She quickly nudged her in the ribs with her elbow, bringing her out of her daydreams.   
  
"Welcome back," she made the remark as a scolding more than a joke.  
  
"Err, I was listening…!" she stuttered as her face turned red. "And of course we've got the battle won!"  
  
"That's what I thought," The princess's misinterpretation of the statement told the story, and she sincerely hoped that her heart wouldn't run away with her head. It wasn't worth being embarrassed in front of their would-be allies with their princess acting like a lovesick puppy over Son Gohan.  
  
The tall, lanky man had to have some kind of story behind him as far as Sailor Saturn was concerned. His gi was identical to Krillin's, and the scars on his face probably were the last remnants of old battles.  
  
"How did things work out with the enemy soldiers, Yamcha?" Krillin asked. "I was starting to get worried."  
  
"Eh, no problem, but there sure were a lot of them," he replied as he looked over at Sailor Saturn and Sailor ChibiMoon. "Two of the Sailor Soldiers, I presume?"  
  
"Yeah, come over, I'll introduce you," Gohan said as he motioned in Hotaru's direction. "This is Hotaru, or Sailor Saturn, and Princess Usagi, the queen's daughter."  
  
ChibiMoon bowed courteously toward Yamcha.   
  
"ChibiUsa, please, Yamcha," she said to him with a friendly smile. "I hate being proper sometimes, especially around friends."  
  
Hotaru bowed as well, still digesting what Yamcha had just said about the alien soldiers.   
Presumably, he and the other Z Warriors that had arrived later than the first three had run into a huge swarm of the armored commandos before getting to the palace, but despite any recent battles, Yamcha didn't seem the least bit wounded or even out of breath. Just how strong were these guys…?  
  
"Pleased to meet you," she politely said. "And we thank you for your assistance in this battle."  
  
"Good to meet you girls, too," Yamcha nodded his head toward Saturn and ChibiMoon. "Have Gohan and Krillin already filled you on who we are?"  
  
"Yes, while some of us were paying attention, anyway," Sailor Saturn glanced over at ChibiMoon, smirking teasingly at her about her infatuation with Son Gohan. The princess's face turned red, and she backed away, shooting a murderous glance over at her friend. As annoying as her lovesickness was, it was fun to rag on her about it.  
  
"Excuse me?" Yamcha seemed lost as to what she was referring to, so Saturn shook it off and continued.   
  
"Well, Krillin told us that you're from Earth of the past, and you were called here by our queen to help us battle these monsters…though we know nothing about any of you personally."  
  
Yamcha nodded in understanding.   
  
"I see. We can completely explain ourselves in time, especially with the help of the one who brought us here, Sailor Pluto. From what we understand, she knows a great deal about us," he replied, looking around. "So, where is she?"  
  
Sailor Saturn was silent, the memory of Sailor Pluto being burned alive by Tridyx as well as her agonizing scream still very much echoing inside of her mind. With her injuries, all Sailor Saturn had been able to do was watch as one of her closest friends was scorched alive, dying in so much pain…while she was now standing alive right now. Setsuna hadn't been given the second chance like they had…  
  
"Puu…" ChibiUsa whispered softly as Saturn spotted her wiping a tear away from her eye. The memory had to be worse for her, and Saturn could understand why. She embraced her friend again, trying to calm her down.  
  
Yamcha lowered his head solemnly.  
  
"I understand…" he said. "I'm sorry…I wish we could've gotten here sooner to help her and your friends."  
  
"We were hounded by soldiers the whole way here," Krillin explained to Saturn. "Had there not been so many enemies and so great a distance between here and our entry point, we could've been here easily…we're really sorry about your friends…"   
  
Hotaru was a bit surprised at the genuine nature of the two foreigners. She could usually read into when somebody was lying or putting forth a false appearance, but as she looked into the eyes of Krillin and Yamcha, she saw nothing but regret and self-disappointment at the loss of the other Sailor Soldiers. She then realized why ChibiUsa had been able to put so much trust in their saviors so quickly. The only thing that was disturbing her was how Gohan seemed to react to Krillin's words. He'd cast his head down, silently clenching his fists out of the view of the others. Hotaru could sense a violent upsurge of energy within him, almost as if Krillin's words had cast a rage upon him.  
  
"We'll all talk about it later," Yamcha suggested as the saddened atmosphere had seemed to get a little out of hand. "Hey, the good guys were victorious in the long run, so let's enjoy our time alive while we can, eh?"  
  
The thought seemed to help, as Saturn felt a smile coming back to her face. She could feel ChibiMoon's crying stopping a little bit. Both of them knew that Yamcha was right, this certainly wasn't the time to deal with the negative side of what had recently happened - knowing Sailor Uranus, she'd want answers from the Z Warriors as to what in the world they were, and Sailor Saturn was willing to bet that she wasn't going to be as eager to believe in their new allies as she and ChibiMoon had been.  
  
"Hey, looks like Piccolo's calling us over, you guys," Gohan said as he saw the Namek beckon to the group with his hand. "You girls better stay here until the other two take a liking to us. We'll talk about this more later."  
  
Before Hotaru could reply, the three Z Warriors took off, flying across the street where the others of their team were waiting. She looked down at her friend, who had loosened her grip on her.  
  
"Are you okay, ChibiMoon?" Hotaru asked as the princess wiped her red eyes.  
  
"Yeah…I'm fine," she nodded as she gazed up at her friend. "Thanks, Hotaru…we owe those guys big, don't we?"  
  
Sailor Saturn stared over at the Z Warrior congregation.   
  
"I'd say so, considering that they did save our lives…especially Son Gohan."  
  
As if by magic, ChibiUsa's eyes were beaming again, and Hotaru knew it was clear - the princess was smitten once again with a guy, this time with the young foreigner playing the unfortunate victim. She sighed in exasperation as ChibiUsa wordlessly stared over at him, not really wanting to know what lovey-dovey thoughts were going through her head.   
  
Even still, though Sailor Saturn hadn't been too properly acquainted with the young boy, he seemed like a nice guy, more than other boys her age around Crystal Tokyo. He seemed to have an air of maturity around his actions and a mindset that was well beyond his years…much like her own…  
Oh, stop it… she told herself. There are more important things at hand right now.   
  
***  
  
"How are they?" Tenshinhan instinctively asked as Gohan, Krillin, and Yamcha joined the group.   
  
"A bit saddened over the deaths of their comrades," Krillin replied. "But they're okay otherwise.   
That was some good shooting you guys did from up there. Even I couldn't sense your presence until you blasted those two."  
  
Tenshinhan smirked, giving Chaozu a friendly fist-tap.  
  
"It was the least we could do, Krillin," he replied. "After all, we wanted a little bit of revenge for what those guys have done to Earth."  
  
Chaozu agreed, but suddenly, his confidence faded. "Gohan, what's wrong?"  
  
Gohan wasn't paying too much attention to the conversation. He was focused on his master at the moment, who was standing at the edge of the curb away from the others, staring silently at the two older Sailor Soldiers, who'd chosen to remain in the center of the street. He walked up to the stoic Namek and glanced over at the Sailor Soldiers with him.  
  
"Piccolo, are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"What can you sense in those two, Gohan?" Piccolo abruptly asked him as he looked down at the Saiyan hybrid. It wasn't so much a question that the Namek didn't know the answer to, but more of a test of Gohan's perception skills.  
  
He didn't need much of his senses to figure out what the Namek was implying, though. The two Sailor Soldiers had extremely defensive energies about them, and their eyes were as emotionless as Piccolo's, not conveying any idea as to how they regarded their little band. However, the fact that the duo remained in the middle of the street spoke volumes about their caution.  
  
"I'd say they're not up for making friends," Gohan glance over at the tan-haired soldier, Sailor Uranus. "Especially the taller one, she's not exactly…sociable."  
  
"I caught a glance of her roughing you up on the ground earlier," Piccolo continued as he returned his gaze to the two princesses. "And you're right, these two are despondent at our presence here."  
  
"But it looks like they're waiting for us to make a move here, you guys," Chaozu said. "And I don't think they'll be too comfortable if we all go out there for introductions."  
  
"Then it would be best if Gohan and I went out and had a few words with them," Piccolo decided as he stepped off the curb and onto the street. "The bulk of the power and motives surrounding our actions have been displayed by the two of us. Since they've seen at least some signs of friendship and good will through the actions of Gohan and I, I think that we would be the better choice for establishing peace between our two groups. They don't know much about the rest of you."  
  
"I could argue that point…" Krillin grumbled as Piccolo had disregarded his actions altogether. "But I see what you mean."  
  
"Yeah, it'll probably be our best chance," Yamcha agreed. "You two go for it, and we'll wait right here."  
  
"But what about the other two aliens?" Chaozu asked as he motioned to the building where their powerful energies were still recovering. "I think it would be best to finish them now, before they can give us any more trouble."  
  
"First things first, Chaozu," Tenshinhan folded his arms as he kept a watchful eye on the two aliens' positions. They were still a considerable distance away - about a few hundred yards down the long street - and if they did recover, they could be dealt with without too much trouble. "Those two can fester in there for a little while longer, but we've got to show these princesses that we truly are on their side before going any further. I have a feeling that trust more than strength is going to be key if we're going to coexist during this war."  
  
"I concur," Piccolo nodded. "We should have a little more time, but keep an eye on those two while we attend to our new 'allies.' Come on, Gohan."  
  
Gohan fell into step next to his mentor and the two of them crossed into the street, approaching the two Sailor Soldiers with caution in case any trouble started.  
  
***  
  
"You are the Z Warriors, I presume?" The tan-haired Sailor Soldier spoke first with assertion and a calm demeanor as they stopped in front of her. Piccolo looked her over briefly, sensing a solid aura in her and seeing it radiating through her confident, even gaze. He also sensed a defensive energy about her, and after noticing her shoving Gohan a bit earlier, Piccolo knew that she'd be most enjoyable to associate with during the coming battles.  
  
"If you are referring to the ones who were called here to help you save this planet, then you are correct. We are the 'Z Warriors,'" Piccolo answered with the same assertiveness, albeit amused that the people of the future had given their forces a collective name. "Who might I be addressing? None of us are too familiar with this kingdom despite what we've been informed."  
  
"My name is Haruka Tenoh, though in this form, I am known as Sailor Uranus," she answered flatly.  
  
Her other comrade stepped forward, slightly bowing towards Piccolo.  
  
"And I am Michiru Kaioh, also called Sailor Neptune," she introduced herself more politely than Uranus. "Your name is…Piccolo, am I right?"  
  
Piccolo was slightly impressed - Sailor Neptune had a good set of ears to hear his conversation with Tridyx from that great a distance.   
  
"Yes," he responded as he motioned back toward the boy behind him. "And I believe you've already become acquainted with Son Gohan."  
  
Gohan bowed in the direction of Sailor Neptune in particular, probably because she hadn't been in direct contact with him before like Uranus had been, and she seemed slightly more on the friendlier side.  
  
"Pleased to meet you," he said. "We're glad that you are well."  
  
Piccolo noticed that only Sailor Neptune had taken the time to return the gesture to Gohan, whereas Sailor Uranus hadn't taken her eyes off of the Namek.  
  
"Son Gohan," Neptune said as she looked down toward the boy. "We never got to thank you properly for saving our lives, especially our princess. You have our gratitude."  
  
Gohan laughed sheepishly as Neptune smiled gratefully toward him.  
  
"It was nothing, don't mention it," he said. "Just doing what--"  
  
"In any event," Uranus harshly cut the exchange off, casting a scolding glance toward Sailor Neptune before continuing. "I suppose we do owe you to a small degree. Although if Sailor Pluto brought you to this era some time ago like she explained to me, what exactly took you so long to 'help' us? I suppose you wanted to wait until all of us were dead, am I correct?"  
  
Neptune shot a surprised glare over to Uranus as the exchange had taken little time to grow hostile. Piccolo remained cool and collected even as he saw Gohan grow somewhat tense next to him. It was an accusation that the Namek had been prepared for, especially after seeing the firm intensity in Sailor Uranus from across the street.  
  
"The one called Sailor Pluto brought us to this era successfully," Piccolo began, not letting up at her sarcastic comment. "But the time gate that we came through dropped us on the wrong side of the continent, and we spent quite some time trying to avoid the enemy in our efforts to get here. Fortunately, your energies stand out among the other powers fighting on this planet, or else we may have never found you."  
  
"We did everything in our power to help your friends," Gohan continued. "And we're really sorry that we couldn't make it here in time, but if we weren't concerned with your lives, would we have stepped in to stop those aliens before they killed you?"  
  
"Stop them?" Uranus didn't seem convinced as she stared over toward the building that Tenshinhan and Chaozu had blasted the two remaining aliens into. "Your two allies over there seemed to have missed their intended mark - those two are still alive and thriving."  
  
Their power had recovered fully at this point as far as Piccolo could sense, sooner than he had anticipated. Suddenly, the building that housed the two aliens erupted from the inside, sending debris and shards of crystal everywhere. The energy was so volatile and fierce that beams of ki shot out from the explosion area, causing the whole group to scatter. Piccolo and Gohan had to dive for the ground to avoid getting scorched while the other Z Warriors used the nearby skyscraper for protection. Uranus tackled Sailor Neptune to the ground, shielding her from the flying shards of crystal and energy and getting a few cuts and burns on her bare limbs as a result.  
  
After the dust cleared and it was safe to stand, Piccolo spotted the alien commander and her remaining cohort standing in the street near the freshly smashed building, both powered up and surrounded by energy. The female was looking immensely enraged, and for good reason - Piccolo himself had endured his share of ambushes over his lifetime, and it wasn't too pleasant for a warrior's pride to be successfully caught in one.  
  
"I'll finish you this time!" Sailor Uranus took charge right away, drawing a small jeweled scimitar and dashing forward with seemingly superhuman speed at the energized soldiers. The Namek cursed aloud at Uranus's recklessness, but before her comrade could get to her feet, Piccolo held her down by the shoulder.  
  
"Don't!" He commanded Sailor Neptune. "It's suicide for you to attack those aliens!!"  
  
"Don't talk to me as if I'm a novice!" she barked back, trying to shake free of Piccolo's grip. "I've dealt with circumstances that have been far worse than this, and no fear is going to keep me from standing up to our enemies!"  
  
"Oh really? Well then, let me be frank about this: you and your friends possess too much value to squander so rashly. And the owner of such valuables doesn't leave them out in the open for the thieves to steal. Sorry, but you had your chance to beat these freaks. We'll take it from here!"  
  
"Valuables, huh?" Neptune suddenly shifted her legs, sweeping Piccolo's feet out from under him. She kipped up onto her feet and lightly flipped over the stunned Piccolo. "The owner sometimes has to learn how to guard the valuables correctly first! Thanks for your consideration, but this is our planet, too. We'll be the first to defend it!"  
  
With that, Neptune dashed off at her own power-enhanced speed to catch her partner as Piccolo cursed after her, fighting an impulse to launch a ki beam her way. As he expected, the two older soldiers weren't likely to be sidelined for their own protection. As it was, Uranus had been able to dash along the road at great speed and had made considerable distance from them, taking her too close to the alien insurgents. While Neptune didn't move as fast and was easily within stopping distance, Piccolo didn't want to risk Uranus's life in exchange for dealing again with Neptune and possibly getting his head knocked in for his troubles. He glanced back and saw the two children had taken cover behind one of the wrecked buildings to shield themselves from the blast. He wondered if they would be as gallantly foolish as their counterparts had been, and if so, things were going to get messy.  
  
"Blasted fools, thinking that she can contend with the likes of those two…" Piccolo was half-tempted to let Uranus and Neptune find out the hard way about the power of their opponents, but the maidens still possessed usefulness to them. Looking over to his right, he saw that Tenshinhan and the others were propelling themselves into the air, ready to fly over and engage their foes. "Gohan, we'd better try to stop those two Sailor Soldiers before--"  
  
"Relax," Vegeta's voice suddenly cut in, and Piccolo was rather surprised to find the Saiyan prince standing next to him with a large grin on his narrow face. "Let me handle the kids while you take care of the aliens."  
  
"Huh," Piccolo stood up and brushed some dirt off of his shoulders. "You seem awfully willing to help all of a sudden. Something catch your eye about those Sailor Soldiers, Vegeta?"  
  
"I'm doing you a favor, Namek," Vegeta snapped back at Piccolo as he crossed his arms. "Don't ask questions, just be thankful that I am giving you a few less headaches to deal with."  
  
Piccolo smirked as he powered up, ready to take flight. He stifled Gohan with his hand when the young Saiyan opened his mouth, obviously to protest.  
  
"I suppose you have me there, for once," he replied. "Have it your way. Just make sure you don't kill them, or else we'll have gained nothing in this whole affair. Gohan, let's go!"  
  
Thankfully, Gohan chose to follow his master's example for the time being instead of bickering   
with Vegeta. "Right! Let's finish this!"  
  
Piccolo shot into the air as Gohan bounded into flight close behind him, blazing toward the aliens at high speed so he could beat Uranus and Neptune to them and trusting that Vegeta would detain them from entering the conflict itself.  
  
"What was that about, you think?" Gohan called over to Piccolo. "Did you see that look in his eye…?"  
  
"Who knows," Piccolo's gaze remained on the target. "But given Vegeta's arrogance, it's not going to be pretty when he gets in their way."  
  
***  
  
Uranus bolted down the street, extra energy from her Sailor Soldier form propelling her further and faster than she would have traveled in her normal form. However, she had noticed that she was going at a more rapid pace than she had been expecting her body to handle considering the recent battle. The healing seed of that Son Gohan had certainly done more wonders than she had expected. She hadn't felt this good for the longest time.  
  
So why don't you go ahead and give him a kiss and fall all over him about what a brave young hero he is? She sarcastically reminded herself that such a tactic from the boy could've been part of a grander scheme. But such issues would be dealt with in time - the other two aliens were still fresh for battle, perhaps more than ever after being ambushed by two of the Z Warriors. Even with Neptune behind her, it would take--  
  
WHOOM!!  
  
A blur flashed in front of Uranus's eyes, causing her to fall backward to the ground. Her heart bewildered, she glanced up and saw one of the Z Warriors - the shorter one who donned armor similar to the alien commandos - standing in front of her, his arms casually folded and his lips curled into a sneer.  
  
"And just where do you think you're going?" he said in mock surprise. "Did the aliens use your head as a punching bag too much when you were fighting them? Maybe that would explain why you're about to rush back in and commit suicide."  
  
"I don't have time for this!" Uranus stood up with her Space Sword, her eye catching the forms of Piccolo and Son Gohan flying past them up above, on course for the alien duo. She leveled the sword in his direction, the sharp tip of the blade centimeters from the warrior's throat. "We didn't ask for your help, foreigner, now get out of my way!"  
  
The sneer didn't falter from the soldier's face.  
  
"You have spirit, I'll give you that," he commented. "And you do have a bit more power within you than I first assumed you would, especially for someone of the Silver Millennium."  
  
Uranus was about to slice the rambling outsider's throat, but the last two words stopped her cold, nearly causing her to lose her grip on her sword.  
  
"The Silver Millennium…?" she repeated in half stutter as the soldier watched her in amusement. How could someone of the past who - by Piccolo's remarks - didn't know about the current kingdom possibly be familiar about the lost kingdom of the Moon?  
  
"That knowledge and this face don't spark any memories? That's certainly surprising," the soldier continued, eyeing her jeweled blade with eagerness. "But I suppose centuries of time would cause memories of the old days to fade, though I would think that out of everyone still alive from the ancient kingdom, the members of the nobility would recognize the face of their most eccentric customers."  
  
She still hesitated, wanting partially to puncture the foreigner's throat with her sword, but holding back as she contemplated his words, her mind being drawn in by an almost noxious sense of curiosity.  
  
"Still clueless?" The spike-haired man laughed aloud, tapping the tip of the blade lightly with a calm eye on it. "Well then, does the name Vegeta mean anything to you? I think you and the rest of your princess friends should remember it quite well from the old age. We were your opposites, your shadows, and ours was the epetomy of a relationship between the extremes: good and evil, light and darkness, 'the rose and its thorns' as the humans are fond of saying. And while my tail may be missing, the rest of me is here before you in the flesh, maiden of the Silver Millennium."   
  
As Uranus stood firm with her sword still at the tip of the warrior's neck, the spike-haired man raised up his hands and his body suddenly exploded in a burst of energy. Sailor Uranus jumped back instinctively, her sword hot from the foreigner's energy surge.  
  
"Behold, the heir of the Saiyan empire, Lord Vegeta!!"  
  
"…No…it can't be…" a whisper escaped as Uranus felt her hands beginning to tremble slightly at the name. It, along with that knowledge and a face that she never dared to fear that she would see again made her forget about all the other foreigners. Now, she was staring face to face with the king of the barbaric Saiyan race, some of the most powerful warriors ever to have existed and cold-blooded murdering dogs to boot. "You…Saiyan!!"  
  
Out of instinct, she drew the blade back to slash at the smirking Saiyan, but another sudden concussion wave of energy from the warrior's glowing body hurled her backward onto the ground, her shoulder slamming harshly into the pavement. She also lost grip on her Space Sword, which pitched forward onto the ground at Vegeta's feet.  
  
She gazed up in confusion, her head beginning to throb from the impact of the concussion wave. Had the Saiyan generated that quick shot of energy in the blink of an eye? Given the number of nasty surprises that had plagued her today, that option wasn't far out of reach.  
  
"Pity," she thought she heard the Saiyan say as he bent down. The look of maliciousness in his slanted black eyes, the arrogant sneer, spiked hair, and immense power were all unmistakable. Even after ages upon ages of time in her existence and not possessing many reminding thoughts left of her former life, the memories of the Saiyan race still echoed throughout her mind as she gazed at the armored assassin.   
  
"So you do remember!" Vegeta casually used a bit of his energy to lift the fallen blade off of the ground. "How delightful, I almost thought that my feelings were going to be hurt. And it appears that you Sailor Soldiers, your magic weapons, and pompous attitudes haven't changed even with the passing of time. How foolish…thinking you stood a chance against an elite fighter like me."  
  
As Uranus sat up, Vegeta nonchalantly swung the jeweled sword through the air, orange energy trailing off the end of the metal blade.   
  
"I never thought to see your faces again," he continued as he dropped the sword back into Sailor Uranus's lap. "After the alliance between our two races was dissolved, I thought I'd seen the last of you mystical witches."  
  
"Alliance?" she sniped back as she stood up, taking up the Space Sword. "We were never allied in the past, and nor shall we ever be! Now tell me, 'King Vegeta,' what is your business here? Are those mercenaries your underlings?"  
  
"King Vegeta…?" the Saiyan seemed genuinely surprised at the title. "Ah, excuse me, it just felt invigorating to hear that title. But as for your questions, my business in this era is my business, something you don't need to be concerned with at the moment. As for the rest of those emotion-plagued weaklings, I have no long-term association or relation with any of them, except for the kid perhaps. They merely provided the means for me to get here, and the promises of an interesting excursion seem to be coming true as I look at you."  
  
"The kid…?" Uranus repeated, ignoring the rest of Vegeta's snickering rhetoric. "You mean Son Gohan."  
  
"Who else?" Vegeta glanced over at Son Gohan, who was soaring through the air with tremendous grace and speed. "He one of the three living members of my race, you know, a Saiyan hybrid, but a Saiyan nonetheless. I'm surprised you didn't sense it in him when he first arrived. If you had, you would've hade no doubt as to who I was."  
  
Uranus clenched her sword tightly as the words came out. She supposed that she shouldn't have been surprised at the revelation given the boy's remarkable strength and will, though her pride was further injured by the words. Just the mere thought of owing her life and health to a Saiyan of all creatures, hybrid or not, made her want to vomit.  
  
"What's this? You want to attack me again?" Vegeta laughed aloud at the thought as he turned around and looked in the direction of the smoldering fire. "I have no problem, and under any other circumstances, you'd be dead already by my hand. But as much as the Namek and I disagree on many things, we still need you alive. However, my tolerance and generosity spans a short length. Attack me again, and I may slip on the control of my power. And it would be very unfortunate to waste such precious energy on Silver Millennium trash."  
  
"Trash…?" That insult dissolved what self-control Uranus had left. "You think you can control us so easily?! Think again!!"  
  
She lunged forward, taking a huge swing at Vegeta's head with all the strength her arms possessed. To her surprise, the blade passed through nothing but air, the shock wave of orange energy soaring down the road and making a sizeable horizontal cut across the pavement.  
  
"Where did he…?!" Sailor Uranus glanced in all directions, but no sign of the Saiyan could be found. Then, Uranus felt another powerful concussion wave floor her from the sky. She lost her balance yet again and this time, her forehead slammed into the ground as she went down.   
  
"Stupid little girl," The Saiyan's voice seemed faint as she felt warm fluid trickling down the side of her head. As she lifted her eyes, Uranus saw a fuzzy form hovering several feet above her. She suddenly felt like such a fool - she should've known that his speed and flight abilities would have far surpassed even Tridyx, and she'd paid for underestimating Vegeta's abilities. "Let that be your punishment for lashing out against me, and be grateful that a scratch is all you're getting."  
  
"Saiyan…wait…" she groggily stood up, her vision cloudy and head throbbing. "You…can't…"  
  
The blurry form of Vegeta seemed to look away, and at the same time Sailor Uranus thought she heard the sounds of someone running up behind her.   
  
"No further!" He commanded in a barking manner. "I'd prefer not having to hurt you too much because of your value to me, but don't put me to the test. I'm a bit of a different game than the rest of my associates."  
  
Before Uranus could recollect herself, Vegeta rotated in the air and sped off to join the rest of his allies against the aliens. She immediately attempted to run after him, but a hand gripped onto her shoulder firmly, holding her where she was.  
  
"Let…let go of me!!" She yelled at first, fighting the obstacle that kept her from pursuing and eradicating the vile Saiyan, but when she turned to face whomever was holding her back, she relaxed her aggression. "Michiru…"  
  
Sailor Neptune reached her hand up and wiped the blood away from her beloved's temple.  
  
"You certainly have a way with strangers," she half-joked to lift Uranus's spirits. "But why did you attack him? What could've provoked you to--"  
  
"Before you place too much trust into that creature," Uranus shook off Neptune's hand sharply. "I think you may want to know something about him that you may find disturbing."  
  
Before she went on to explain to Neptune about what she'd just encountered, one last miniscule thought crossed her mind about Vegeta as the memories began to solidify in her mind - didn't King Vegeta of the Saiyans have facial hair and a bigger build than what she saw?  
  
***  
  
If Sailor ChibiMoon wasn't confused before, she certainly was now. After witnessing the armored, spike-haired warrior nearly lay Sailor Uranus out on the street in front of her, something began telling her that he wasn't in the same league with Gohan and Piccolo. Not that his attack meant anything against the group as a whole as far as she was concerned - while the green fighter had attempted to restrain Sailor Neptune from entering into the fight, he certainly endeavored to do so without causing that much physical harm to her. Uranus's attacker - that was the best way she could describe the man at the moment - had seemingly cared next to nothing about the well-being of the Outer Soldier leader. The lethargy she showed when getting up had been proof of that.  
  
"Sailor Saturn, what do you make of that all?" she asked aloud to her partner.  
  
"…Something about him…" she heard Saturn murmur thoughtfully, as if she hadn't heard her. "Where have I known him before…?"  
  
ChibiMoon looked back at the girl in surprise. "You know that warrior, Saturn? But how? You heard Krillin say that all of them were from the past."  
  
"I know that, ChibiMoon, but something doesn't feel right when I look at that man," Saturn replied as she scratched her chin. "When I sense the energy within him, something in the back of my mind tells me that I'd been in his presence before, or at least with others of his kind."  
  
"Strange…" ChibiMoon replied. "I wonder why I haven't felt the same way about him?"   
  
"I don't know…" Saturn cupped her hands over her eyes, squinting down the street to check on   
Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. "I can say this though: even though that man attacked Haruka-papa so forcefully, her energy spiked up as he was talking, and it peaked as she first tried to swing at him."  
  
"You think that something he said alarmed her that much?" ChibiMoon ventured. Looking along with Saturn, Uranus seemed to be composing herself enough to explain to Neptune what exactly had happened. "Why don't we go and see? There's no use just standing around here like spectators."  
  
"True, and it doesn't look like we can catch those Z Warriors from here unless we could fly that fast."  
  
"No thanks, Saturn," ChibiMoon shuddered at the idea. "I've seen enough action from the air today. I'm quite content with running, thank you very much."  
  
"That's surprising," Saturn lifted her glaive and sprinted forward, smiling back at the princess. "I'd think you would like the idea with your head being up in the clouds with Son Gohan!"  
  
"Hey, that's not funny!!" ChibiMoon quickly dashed after her.  
  
***  
  
As soothing as the flames were to her jarred nerves, Infernia's anger forbade her from staying in seclusion any longer. She boldly stepping into the middle of the street with Zebus right beside her, their temporary prison now a towering inferno to the right of them. Brilliant red energy licked around her whole body, the result of charging up enough power to break out of the complex. It cast an orange shadow on the world in front of her, but she was still able to make up several bright shapes approaching them head-on at a rapid pace. It seemed that their attackers wanted to finish the job. The hell they would if she had anything to do with it.  
  
"I tire of being ambushed by coward assassins!" Zebus's voice was a high-pitched cry. A blue cube of energy surrounded his form and a newfound hatred for the mystery fighters vanquished all feelings of pain from his acute nerves. "Especially the little bald one…Bastard took away my kill!!"  
  
"As well as our dignity…" Infernia's thoughts settled on the boy that had saved the princess. Since his arrival, nothing had gone right - the Sailor Soldiers had been defeated, wrecked, wiped from their concern list, and the princess was about to burst into flames at the touch of her bare hand…until that damned kid had ruined it all by wrenching the princess from her grip with a giant ki beam that no little brat his age had any right using against someone of her caliber. Ever since he arrived, every last advantage has vanished before their eyes. The Sailor Soldiers were out of their reach, Tridyx was more than likely dead after displaying such frailty against the Namek, and most of all, the princess was still alive. Victory seemed far and distant now - had they simply vaporized the Sailor Soldiers from the start and not wasted time playing, the palace could've been theirs… "Such is our fate for overestimating our strength…but I'm going to end that annoying little scruffy-haired fly's life once and for all, and then I'll butcher that Namek and all of those Sailor Soldiers!!"  
  
"Just leave the bald one and the green-haired girl to me, Captain Infernia…" Zebus cracked his knuckles and the cilia lining his mouth quivered as he let out a facsimile of a growl. "They're my kills, mine alone…"  
  
"As you wish, Zebus," Infernia replied. The approaching shapes began to become more visible as they closed in, but it was strange. While Infernia recognized the short bald one that had attacked Zebus, the three new faces surrounding him made her uneasy. Apparently, the beams that sent her and Zebus sailing into the building hadn't been generated by anyone in the immediate area but by more damned foreigners. Infernia growled as she noticed all of their determined yet confident demeanors. Four against two could've gotten messy.  
  
The four unknowns dropped to the ground a short distance away, all of them ready and willing to take the two soldiers on.  
  
"Maybe you should've reconsidered letting me rescue those Sailor Soldiers, eh?" The bald one let out the taunt, causing Infernia's eyes to spark with flaming energy. "We're not going to let you harm them or anyone else!"  
  
"Is that so?" Infernia calmed herself long enough to respond, levitating herself in the air above the flame-colored, fireball-shaped field of energy surrounding her. "Are you so confident that even all four of you can best the two of us? Little man, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into. I've killed more boastful warriors such as yourself in the past ten years than you've seen in your entire lifetime!"  
  
He seemed to wince at the 'little man' remark, but another of his cohorts, a three-eyed muscular fighter, stepped forward defiantly.  
  
"Sorry, but the fear effect doesn't work with us," his voice was noble, ringing out loud and clear despite the roaring fire around him. "We're honor bound to protect those princesses and this planet with our lives and deaths. If it means giving up an arm or two to dismantle your ego, I'd be more than happy to be the first one to clash with you!"  
  
"I'm right behind you, Ten!" A laughably small creature stood his ground beside the tri-eye.  
  
"And a miserable bitch like you has no business calling my pal little," The scarred man flashed a glare of his own in their direction. "Are we just going to sit and watch your fire-show all day or just fight!!"  
  
"Delightful…" Infernia smirked. This would be fun, testing herself against four moderately powerful warriors. With any luck, perhaps their mission objective would be completed yet, with a little exercise on the side.  
  
"Starting without us?" Suddenly, a familiar voice through Infernia off her guard. She glanced up and spotted the Namek warrior floating several feet above her, and the worthless little wretch was hovering just nearby. "So, 'captain,' still feeling as confident to victory as you were moments ago?"  
  
"Give me the word, Piccolo, and I'll drop another beam on her head!"  
  
"Hold on a second, Gohan, let me do the talking."  
  
The Namek descended onto the ground in front of her, several feet out of her reach. He folded his arms causally, not impressed by the field of energy burning around Infernia's body.  
  
"Numbers can be a powerful force, don't you agree?" he cocked his head to one side. "I suppose you aliens know a lot about that, sending horde after horde of soldiers to ransack this planet. But now the numbers game has changed, 'friend,' and you're on the unlucky end."  
  
"Bah!" Zebus spat at the Namek with contempt. "Have you gotten a bloated head just because you got the best of Tridyx?! He was just a bodyguard, and a low-grade one at that. He was no soldier, no emissary of power like we are!"  
  
"Is that right?" Piccolo smirked back at the insectoid's bitterness. "Well, I call your bluff. Six of us is more than enough to send you to join your pal Tridyx, and I think both of you know that as well as I do. Even descendants of the army of Frieza know when they're beat!"  
  
"Frieza…?" Infernia was taken off-guard by that one. How could that Namek scum think that they were a part of that dead warlord's forces from centuries back? Unless…did he know something about that plan that Damos had discovered…? It couldn't have been, it was too wild a possibility that he had been through their databanks.   
  
"What's wrong, lady?" the scarred man chuckled. "Cat got your tongue?"  
  
"Shut up!" Infernia barked back as she returned from her musings. She had to think quickly - the arrival of additional fighters on the enemy's side had indeed tipped the scale of power in their favor…and who knew how many other outsiders were hiding in the shadows, concealing their battle powers from their scouters. Was it worth risking a battle with so many potential powers as to endanger the mission, as well as her life?  
  
No, not for now… she concluded as the warriors gradually began to close in on her. The developments had been too sudden, too unexpected to continue the mission, and she wasn't willing to be greeted by anymore unexpected visitors today. The risks were too great at this point in the war, and they could easily regroup after reporting to the general…but first she had to do one thing…  
  
"Numbers are indeed a powerful factor, Namek," her silvery voice chortled as she held one hand behind her back, forming a deep red orb within her palm. "But you forgot one crucial piece of the battle puzzle: strategic brilliance!"  
  
Before they could react, Infernia launched the orb into the air, and it exploded immediately with an illuminating crimson glow. The clear night sky around them immediately darkened into the same color, and as she looked at her combatants, they were all clutching at their chests, in obvious pain at the intense heat generated by such a small sphere. It was a temporary effect of the energy stored in the orb, but a remarkably efficient one.  
  
"Damn…m, my chest…burning…!!"  
  
"What the…what the hell is this…?!"  
  
"Can't take the heat, warriors?" Infernia quickly catalogued each face among the group with her scouter for review back at the ship. "Don't worry, we'll meet again in the fires of battle, and next time, I'll be leaving all of you as ashes!! Zebus, retreat!"  
  
The soldier's flame-resistant scales protected him well from the orb's power, and despite his willingness to stay and slaughter, he knew that the orb's power would quickly dissipate - they only had enough time left now for a hasty getaway.  
  
"I'll kill you another day, bald coward," he spat at the smaller fighter once more before blasting off into the air behind Infernia.  
  
Both of them zipped past the heat-stricken mystery fighters and sailed back the way they'd arrived. They had to make it out of the city where the transport ship to the Terror would be waiting to pick them up, even though the mission was not complete. They sped through the air for a bit of a time, ensuring that they were far enough away from their adversaries so she could send a signal to the waiting crew of the transport ship and tell them to make it flight-ready. All they needed to travel was a few miles by air and--  
  
"Captain!" Zebus's voice interrupted her in midcall. "I'm picking up a power signal coming from the rear!"  
  
Infernia's scouter was in communication mode, so no signal had registered. But as she switched over to scanning mode, the numbers blipped across the screen rapidly. Indeed, a faint battle power was approaching them and at the speed that they were traveling if the velocity data was correct. She glanced back, wondering if one of the foreigners had followed them, but instead, she caught a glimpse of one of their own soldiers, a spike-haired humanoid in white battle armor. Still, he was traveling awfully fast for one of their Standard-class soldiers, and where in the world was his scouter? No unit had been sent out without one.  
  
"Hold on, Zebus," Infernia halted in midair, and Zebus followed suit. The soldier slowed down in front of them, folding his arms casually and not looking at all like he was ready to salute a superior officer, which added even more concern to Infernia's mind. "Identify yourself! What squad are you with?"  
  
"That was quite a technique you pulled back there," The man ignored the question entirely. "I've never seen the elements used in such a creative fashion, but unfortunately for you, those kids delayed me enough so I wasn't caught in your little heat wave. I really hope that's not your only trick."  
  
"You…!!" Infernia was aghast - yet another surprise warrior from the enemy ranks had appeared. How many more unwelcome guests would pop up out of the shadows today? "Who in the hell are you and your allies?! Where have you come from?!"  
  
"Calm down, wench," the man coolly replied as he looked her over. "Hmm…your armor certainly is unique, yet the design seems familiar to me…why don't you tell me who you are and whom your leader is instead? If you do, I may spare some mercy for both of your worthless hides."  
  
"Captain, the ship…" Zebus murmured to her. She could hear a faint static-filled transmission from Zebus's scouter from where she was floating. "They've prepared the engines, but they will be discovered and attacked if we don't hurry."  
  
That was bad news. They couldn't waste their time bickering and fighting with even one unknown and risk their escape ship being discovered. They'd lost too many in recent days - one of the few successes accomplished by Crystal Tokyo raiders - and it was perhaps the only way back to the Terror and General Damos. The communication systems on their scouters wasn't strong enough to reach so far out into space.  
  
"Oh no, you can't leave so soon," the man mocked them and cracked his knuckles. "I've yet to see much substantial action today, and I'd like to make our fun chase worthwhile!"  
  
Suddenly, their chance came as several bright gold ki beams came from the ground and struck the cocky warrior, throwing him off balance and sending him sailing backward.  
  
"It's him!" A soldier's voice came from the ground. "The one who annihilated Squad Grey! Kill him!!"  
  
"Hmph, I suppose numbers do matter, just like the Namek said!" Infernia spat out one last insult before taking off toward the ship at full speed, Zebus trailing right behind her. The warrior hadn't even gotten a chance to follow them.  
  
"Another close call," Zebus said after a few minutes of high-speed flying. "But who are those fighters, captain? They certainly don't bear the resemblance to the Crystal Tokyo scum slinking around on this planet."  
  
"We'll soon find out, soldier," she clicked her scouter over into memory mode, scanning through the facial images that she'd captured from all of the unknowns, including the unruly spike-haired one that had accosted them only moments ago. "The databases aboard the ship may be able to tell us a few things about those cretins and what hole they crawled out of."  
  
"What about the general, captain?" Zebus continued with a tone of uncertainty. "He said that instant victory was riding on the completion of this mission. He won't be pleased with one of his bodyguards dead and the palace still uncaptured."  
  
"Do you think that hadn't crossed my mind, idiot?" Infernia snapped back. "But I'll deal with Damos in my own way, Zebus. Let's just worry about getting back to the ship first!"  
  
Zebus said nothing the rest of the way, presumably because he was pondering the general's upcoming reaction to the aborted mission. Infernia laughed on the inside as she studied his nervous glancing. Indeed, Zebus had plenty of reason to be worried about the general's wrath, but she was a different story. No soldier within the fleet could penetrate Damos's black heart except for her, and she was planning on making him forget about her part in the failed capture mission as soon as the doors closed…  
  
***  
  
"Oh, how perfect," Sailor Uranus grumbled as the six warriors made their back to their position, all of them breathing heavily and sweating all over. Such circumstances had to have been from that red sphere that had been launched into the air only minutes before, but in any event, the two alien commanders had escaped nearly scot-free, unless she counted the Saiyan king that had pursued them. But who knew what his game plan was - he was probably looking to join their ranks knowing Uranus's luck. He and that female commander would get along perfectly. "Some help we've got - six versus two, and they let them slip through their fingers."  
  
"Haruka…" Michiru still seemed intent on calming her nerves about their new 'allies' and their recent attempts to bar them from the fight. Saturn and ChibiMoon were offering the same pleading expressions to keep her emotions in check. "As much as I hate to admit, I have a feeling that there's an explanation for all of this."  
  
"You seem awfully willing to trust such incompetent and shady warriors, Neptune," she snapped back at her partner. "What can possibly make you think that these guys are on the same side as we are, especially after what you've just seen? Are you losing your sense of mind, too, Michiru?"  
  
As she looked back at Sailor Neptune, Uranus suddenly realized how mentally exhausted she looked, and she was surprised that she hadn't noticed it earlier.  
  
"Uranus…" she began, her voice showing signs of similar fatigue. "I don't trust them completely either, but unlike your feelings, I don't consider saving lives as much of a hostile act, and their care for all of us justifies my patience. You can feel any way about these fighters as you'd like, but we have no choice but to trust them for now. As you said, there are six of them, and there are only four of us. Hostilities can only be worse for us at this point. There's been too much despair already today…we can't afford anymore."  
  
"She's right," Saturn's gentle voice followed, and she put her hand on Uranus's. "Your hand is shaking, Haruka-papa. You're starting to break…I can tell."  
  
Uranus was slightly shocked at the notion, mostly because she hadn't considered it herself. Had so many days of repeated combat and the frequent sight of death done something to warp her mind to her surroundings? She didn't feel much different…did she?  
  
She was at a loss for this reason even as the Z Warriors returned. The green warrior seemed a bit surprised as he looked at her blank face, expecting another tongue lashing for letting the aliens escape.  
  
"Why the change, Sailor Uranus?" Piccolo said as he was catching his breath. Seeing that and the sweat flowing down his green, bulbed skin made her wonder what exactly that red sphere had done to them. "Don't you have a curse to greet us with?"  
  
"I…" she stammered at first, her pride wanting her to retort, but then she let her shoulders sag, the adrenaline flowing through her finally beginning to die down. Things had already taken too many twists and turns in the past half hour to continue bickering at the trust issue. Her mind needed to rest even if her body was relatively healthy again, and as much as she hated to admit it, there wasn't much four of them could do to prevent seven powerful outsiders from reaching the palace at the current point, especially if - assuming Piccolo's story had been truthful - they'd tracked their power sources this far to begin with. Perhaps she would take Michiru's advice for now since - despite shady circumstances - the immediate danger had passed. "Never mind…come on, I'll show you the way to the palace. We'll discuss more once we reach there."  
  
"Excuse me?" Piccolo said in surprise.  
  
Uranus turned away from him, one last burden crossing her mind. "Let us gather the bodies of our friends first, and then you can follow us."  
  
"In that case, we'd be glad to assist you," the three-eed muscular man replied. "There's only two of you that could hold the weight of your friends" --He glanced over at Sailor Saturn and Sailor ChibiMoon -- "No offense to you girls, of course. Besides, it's the least we can do."  
  
He took off with the smaller pale creature right beside him over to where Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus were laying dormant.  
  
"Yamcha," he called over to the scarred man. "Could you give me a hand back here? I see two of them."  
  
"Sure, no problem," And he hovered off after his comrades.  
  
"I'll get the one over there," The one called Krillin offered, soaring northward to retrieve Sailor Mercury's body. Piccolo and Son Gohan watched their friend fly off, assured that he could handle the weight of Mercury's body on his own.  
  
Why do I have the sudden feeling that this is going to a common occurrence with these mercenaries… Uranus allowed that thought to come out. They're too sincere and good-willed to be true in these times…that's why we'll have to wait and see what these guys are all about…  
  
Sailor ChibiMoon and Sailor Saturn had already gone over to Sailor Pluto's body, and from the sullen, tearful looks on their faces, Uranus knew that the combat high and feeling of excitement had vanished along with the fleeing alien duo, and it was time for all of them to grieve over the losses of the day's battle. And even if Setsuna had deviated from traditional fighting rules and brought in a bunch of unknowns behind their backs, she was a surrogate mother to both ChibiUsa and Hotaru, not to mention one of Haruka's best friends.  
  
She looked down at the silent, emulated corpse and sighed. "Sorry you had to go out with such dismal feelings on my end, Setsuna. Rest in peace…friend. We'll get them for you…"  
  
As Saturn and ChibiMoon wept, Uranus lifted the prone corpse off of the ground, her heart feeling increasingly heavy as the weight of Setsuna's corpse pressed down onto her shoulders.  
  
***  
  
"What do you think happened here?" Yamcha asked as he snapped the black energy chains that were wrapped around the bodies of two of the Sailor Soldiers. A lot of their skin had been burned black, and it stung Yamcha's skin even to touch them. They had to have been hit by an extremely powerful ki force.  
  
"I'd say these were the ones that were the targets of that explosion we felt a while back," Tenshinhan replied as he lifted the brunette into his arms, gazing briefly at her charred face. "What a waste…they look so young to die such a horrible death."  
  
Yamcha picked up the other one with relative ease.  
  
"Terrible," Chaozu murmured. "They fought to the end, I'll bet. We'll make them pay for this!"  
  
"One step at a time, my friend," Tenshinhan said calmly. "These girls gave their lives to protect this planet desite such stacked odds. Now, we must honor the sacrifices of ones so brave while we have this chance."  
  
Yamcha was silent, not knowing what to say - Ten had always been much better at words than he was when it came such things like death. As he looked at the face of the blonde girl, he sighed. She'd been a pretty thing once, and her face retained much of that - it had been relatively spared by whatever had killed her. Even in death, Yamcha could see sadness on her face, grieving at perhaps her defeat, maybe at what would happen to her surviving friends without her there, and possibly at some other grim thought that Yamcha couldn't even guess.  
  
"Sorry," he simply said. He then looked up and jogged forward to catch up with Ten and Chaozu. He didn't want to look down again.  
  
***  
  
"I never thought I'd be doing this again," Gohan heard Krillin say as he floated up, a blue-haired girl on his back.  
  
"What happened to her?" the hybrid asked.  
  
"The neck's snapped like a twig," he replied. "Animals…"  
  
Gohan nodded in agreement as Krillin floated past him. Looking back to the side of the street, he saw Sailor Uranus pulling Sailor Pluto's body away on her shoulders with Sailor Neptune watching from a small distance away, sadness apparent on both of their faces.  
  
The worst impact of the deaths seemed to be felt by the two children, especially Serenity's daughter. The situation was made worse as Krillin, Yamcha, Tenshinhan, and Chaozu arrived with their corpses; the sight of her dead friends seemed to make ChibiUsa even more hysterical. Gohan cringed as he began hearing audible sobs coming from the princess as she had her face buried in Sailor Saturn's chest. The latter was trying her best to calm down her friend, but the ordeal wasn't easy on her either - pain and tears were clearly visible in her eyes as well.  
  
How can I refuse that…Infernia…you'll pay for this…  
  
He slowly walked over to the grieving pair and gently put a hand on the princess's shoulder. She turned her head partially, and Gohan was stricken somewhat himself as he gazed upon her damp cheeks and red, tear-filled eyes.  
  
"She…er, they were very close to you, I take…" he stuttered at first, feeling a blunder coming on. "But while we never knew the friends you lost today, I can say that we'll get revenge for them…I promise."  
  
The thought seemed to comfort the princess, and she managed to return a weak smile as she cried, the realization of her friends death still too great for her to bear at the moment. Saturn kept her held, letting her cry all she wanted. Gohan understood - while he could tear apart the murderous aliens for causing such a catastrophe, only time could heal the reality of their deaths. He looked up at Hotaru, whose eyes met his almost immediately.  
  
"Are you…?" Gohan asked softly to the girl.  
  
"I'll be fine…" She cast her look aside, almost afraid to even look at him as it seemed. "I'm the Sailor Soldier of Death…loss is nothing new for me to endure. It's a part of wars such as this one. My only choice is to move on after I help my friends cope…death's not supposed to affect me."  
  
"But Hotaru…" Gohan continued, not wanting to accept that she actually believed what she just said. He could easily see her putting up an emotional wall around her. "Even someone whose power is death isn't immune to it. We're all human here, and it is difficult to accept the deaths of good friends and   
family…believe me, I know."  
  
"Are you saying that out of truth?" she asked as she fought to hold back excess tears. "Or is it because you're attempting to win over our trust as allies through this sympathy?"  
  
Gohan backed away a bit, his thoughts returning to his father.  
  
"When I lost my dad the first time, I didn't understand what was happening, I was too young," he said to Saturn, who looked a little surprised at the revelation. "When I lost him again in space, I did understand, and it hit me all at once. When I say I know what you're going through, I mean it in sincerity."  
  
"I see…" Saturn muttered, still keeping her own tears back. "Gohan…I'm sorry, I…I didn't mean to sound irritated at you. I just wish--"  
  
"Hotaru!" Sailor Uranus called from a short distance. "Come on, let's get back. There's no use grieving out on the battlefield. We have to send the girls off in a proper setting."  
  
"On our way," she replied, turning back to Gohan briefly. "Thank you…Gohan. It means a lot to us."  
  
He nodded in return as Sailor Saturn ushered the weeping princess along with her to catch up with the others. Soon, he, Piccolo, and Chaozu were the only ones lagging behind.  
  
"Come on, Gohan," Piccolo said as he stepped forward. "It's better to deal with this once we've reached the palace and discussed things with Serenity."  
  
"Yeah…I'll be there in a minute," Gohan replied, and Piccolo turned and walked off in the direction that the Sailor Soldiers and the rest of their own group had gone.  
  
Gohan suddenly caught a glimpse of a bright white comet sailing toward them from the north. At first, he thought it was perhaps Infernia returning to finish the job, but to his dismay, the ki energy belonged to the Saiyan prince Vegeta. He wondered if he'd had any luck with catching the aliens.  
  
"You seem to be taking this pretty hard, Gohan," Chaozu noted as he walked up to his friend. "Though I suppose death of allies, known or unknown, is never easy."  
  
"You're right," he said as his eyes fell on a shiny metal object laying several yards away. Upon closer examination, he found that it was a staff tipped with a garnet. It had to have been Sailor Pluto's - Kami had mentioned that she carried such a staff when they spoke to him. He picked it up off the ground, examining it as he sighed. "I guess it's more of an advantage we had. When you, Yamcha, Tenshinhan, and Piccolo had died, we had a way to easily bring you back from the dead with no problems. These girls have no such advantage…I don't know, I guess it's just not fair. Especially for the princess, did you see--"  
  
Gohan suddenly froze in mid-phrase as he looked at the staff, a clever idea suddenly crossing his mind and bringing a silver lining to the cloud of Death that had fallen over the battlefield.  
  
"Gohan?" Chaozu inquired with confusion. "What's the matter?"  
  
"Chaozu, was that time portal still open when we arrived here?" he quickly asked, wheels turning in his head.  
  
"It closed behind us, but it left a glowing crimson orb in its place if I can remember right," Chaozu replied, his memory sharp and quick. "I would think it could be reopened with another shot of energy like the one that Kami gave to it. Sailor Pluto might've designed it that way so we could get home after all of this was overwith."  
  
"Perfect!" Gohan shouted triumphantly. "Then it'll work, I'm sure of it! I've got to talk to Piccolo about it when we get to the palace, and hopefully, he'll agree with me about this plan…"  
  
"Gohan, what in the world are you talking about?" Chaozu was completely lost.  
  
"What do you say we turn a funeral into a reunion?" He continued. "We need all the muscle we can get, right? Not to mention that it'll be a nice surprise for the Sailor Soldiers."  
  
"Wait a second," Chaozu's eyes widened. "You're not thinking about…?"  
  
"That's right." Gohan nodded. "Let's make a short trip back…for the Dragonballs." 


	10. In the Wake

Chapter 10: In the Wake  
  
Where...  
  
She still couldn't think coherantly even though a substantial amount of time had passed since she arrived. The blurred and eratic void of shuddering darkness surrounding her resonated softly from some distant commotion. Every now and again, a gentle, almost musical ringing roused whatever conscious thought she still possessed.  
  
Souls...passing over...to the next life...  
  
Frustration welled up inside of her as she struggled even to merely ponder her current locale. Without a physical body, her essence could not contain even the slightest musings of her mind, and her thoughts kept floating free of her own consciousness and vanishing just as quickly into the limbo around her. The resulting imbalance of mental equilibrium had reduced her to a permenant state of confusion, attempting futilely to discern something, anything before the very thought disappeared into the chaotic mass around her.  
  
Not...much...longer...  
  
This particular part of the road was certainly one of the bumps. As often as she'd been through this transition period, she could never seem to adjust to the dissociation from spirit and physical form.  
  
Then...again... Another thought emerged, and she was able to concentrate on it for a bit longer. That was a good sign - the limbo's stranglehold on her was weakening. Maybe...this wasn't meant to be...adjusted to...since all creatures...should only come through here...once...  
  
She had the distinction of being one of the few who had made the trek more than once. She had decided long ago that it had been a running joke by whatever powers who controlled the fates of mortal creatures - why reward such a long and dreary existence of guardianship and vigilance with more of the same, denying her the chance to leave the living world time and again? She had been called back before even reaching the judgement seat more than once by her duties, stolen away from the eternal fate that had awaited her there.  
  
However, she had also remained certain that such extensions of life were given for her own benefits.  
  
If I were...dead...then Small Lady...Hotaru...  
  
Her mind suddenly fell upon the teary-eyed, sorrowful face of Small Lady, the last sight that she had beheld before her soul had left that plane of existence along with her body and her remaining comrades. Never had she seen so much pain in those large red eyes; even when her mother had been captured by the enemy, she had tried to hold back as much of her emotion as she could, not wanting to appear weak and helpless in front of all of them. It had been just as she explained to Hotaru - her young mind had finally broken under the weight of her own emotion.   
  
Her experiences with the princess and Hotaru had done something that the fates must have designed for her. She was always caught up in their boundless energy and cheerful spirits; they cared very much for each other and all of their group, and after a lonely vigilance over the Gates of Time - a task that had made her forget any kind of emotion with its duration - they had been the ones who had reminded her most of how warm it felt to smile, laugh, or even cry. And as much as her emotions were buried within her during her battles, she had soon come to realize long ago that she owed the two children her very humanity. Haruka and Michiru may have been her best friends, but Small Lady and Hotaru she considered closer to her own heart, the closest that she'd ever have to children of her own.  
  
But...how I've...failed them...  
  
Sending Hotaru down to heal Haruka without even ensuring that the danger had passed, letting Small Lady attack and subsequently enrage the monster Tridyx, both of them had nearly been killed because of her mistakes. Small Lady definitely would've been dead had it not been for her sacrifice.  
  
But even though the princess had lived because of her, she still felt empty and regretful. Small Lady could've still very well have been finished off mere moments after her own demise but only on top of watching her mentor painfully perish in front her, and in a much more painful fashion. Not only that, but Hotaru's brazed body couldn't have held out for much longer a time without medical attention, and she was certain that the girl had witnessed Tridyx's energy blast tear her apart as well. She wondered if it was the last sight that she had seen before her own death.  
  
One last sacrifice... she mulled over her last words as the black matter around her began to brighten into a grayer shade. Her transition was almost over, and the next step of the journey could begin. Forgive me...my children...for all you have endured on my account...death can't match the grief I've given both of your tender spirits...  
  
With her spirit finally passing on into the next world, it didn't matter anymore. If Small Lady and Hotaru were to be finished off by the aliens, then at least she'd be able to see them again and apologize to them herself for everything she'd done, all of the anguish she'd given to both of them in her final moments.  
  
But that energy source, was it my imagination?  
  
Ah, a complete thought. That part was relieving to her aching mind, but the question still nagged at her. What had been the sudden burst of energy she had felt before the last of her strength faded? She doubted very much if Small Lady had detected it; her sensory abilities weren't anywhere close to hers.  
  
It was there one instant and nearly extinguished the next...  
  
Not much of her memory was clear thanks to the ebbing of her thoughts in the empty void, but she could still vaguely remember sensing some sort of mental shielding appearing around the energy source less than a second after it registered to her. Something had been trying to hide itself from notice on the war-torn street; somehow it knew that beings around the area could pinpoint it easily if it left itself exposed for too long.  
  
"What could it have been..." Sailor Pluto finally managed to hear her own silvery voice as the grayer shades finally erupted in a sudden flash of dazzling white light. Seconds later, the light had dissolved into shapes of different colors, sizes, and patterns. Much of the area around her was a bright pinkish sky, as if the setting sun was illuminating the entire atmosphere.  
  
She knew better than that however, especially after gaping around at the drifting yellow clouds that dominated much of the air. This place had no sun, no source of natural light to give the sky its flaring pink shade. Some force that even she had no knowledge of had devised this intermediary place to better fit the physical senses and expectations of incoming mortal creatures. It was only after one decided to relinquish hold on their mortal shape that they were fully able to comprehend and reap the benefits of the afterlife. To physical senses, these evolved souls appeared as puffy, curling balls of white that emitted quick, high-pitched giggles. They danced about in the air like feathers on the wind, seemingly as carefree and jittery as schoolchildren.  
  
Sailor Pluto, however, certainly wasn't ready to leave the form that she had held for so long a time. She had come to cherish her body over the centuries as something that couldn't be replaced by some transluscent puffball, even if it was supposedly on a higher plane of existence. In addition to that, the absence of a physical body brought back dreadful reminders of the transition trip, where her conscious thoughts managed to escape her essence without a solid form to contain them. She couldn't bear to go through all eternity with a sensation of instant amnesia.  
  
Hearing her own voice had been soothing to her, and she realized that she could lift a white-gloved hand again, could move her slender fingers around to point or to make a fist. Looking down, she was relieved to see her Sailor Soldier uniform completely intact, and her skin bore no signs of the injuries sustained during her final battle.  
  
"One good thing about dying..." she muttered softly to herself. "No such thing as physical harm when your body is practically a metaphor..."  
  
With her mind clear and as sharp as before her death, Sailor Pluto finally began to formulate memories of what exactly she had sensed in her last seconds of life.  
  
"Yes..." she spoke aloud. "There was something hiding out there...no...could it have been...??"  
  
The Z Warriors! Had one of them managed to get there just before her death? Optimistic and wishful as it may have been, the energy had been nothing that Sailor Pluto had ever sensed before - wild and tense, yet somehow beaming with a gentle radiance, a determination that she had seen echoed within the powers of the Inner Soldiers. And with all of them dead...that seemed to be the most logical option.  
  
To test a possible theory, Sailor Pluto waited for several minutes, gaping around at the twisting stone pathway that vanished into the distance in either direction. It was the only solid structure within the pink space, and it was carved and decorated as if it were the curling and looping form of a godlike serpent. Ten minutes passed, then twelve, and she managed to hold her hopes and patience past fifteen minutes.  
  
It was soon obvious that no other arrivals would be showing up anytime soon. She couldn't be certain about any alien deaths - her past travels to this realm had revealed that different species materialized in different sections of the road to avoid possible overcrowding at any particular time. Stronger and tenacious forms were dropped far off into the distance from where she was, while more frail and delicate creatures usually were formulated a good way ahead, closer to the judgement seat for accomodation's sake. Considering the brute tenacity of their enemies, they'd be dropped off many miles away from where she was standing.  
  
As twenty minutes passed with continued silence, Sailor Pluto grew elated. It was evident that the aliens' agenda had been to kill all of the Sailor Soldiers, or else the monstrous Tridyx wouldn't have released tidal waves of energy onto Small Lady and Hotaru. And if that plan had failed somehow, only one option remained in her mind.  
  
"They're okay..." she smiled to herself, emotions of monumental relief welling up in her chest. "Kami...your fighters came through after all, they've done it! If only you were here right now, I could--"  
  
She calmed herself, not letting her joyous outburst completely overtake her. Much still laid ahead for her: the judgment seat still awaited, and this time, she would not be summoned back. With the queen in enemy hands, no resurrection would be coming, and once heaven or hell claimed Sailor Pluto, even the Silver Crystal's power had to yield to the forces controlling this world.  
  
"But still..." she allowed herself another smile, one of satisfaction. "Kami gave me his word. Small Lady and the others are in good hands, and perhaps Earth shall continue to endure yet."  
  
Another thought occurred to her - she wouldn't be the only one this jubilant about the circumstances. Spirits high, Sailor Pluto dashed forward up the snaking path. The line to the judgement seat wouldn't be too far away, and she knew of four recent arrivals who were probably nervous wrecks at this point, wondering frantically about the fates of their friends.  
  
I only hope that they're more understanding than Haruka about this plan. She pondered as her legs carried her faster up a steep hill. If not, then heaven may not be so enjoyable after all.   
  
***  
  
The scenery was the same all around for miles. The pinkish 'atmosphere' - which was stretching it a bit considering they certainly didn't need air to breathe anymore - all around them was dotted and in some cases overrun with yellow-tinted clouds that occasionally floated within arm's length on the long winding road. Mercury had advised against touching the thick gases, but Jupiter had unenthusiactically reminded her that they were already dead - there was no sense in fearing anything anymore. Mercury had been unusually quiet since then.  
  
One thing that the four deceased Sailor Soldiers had agreed upon after meeting in the new realm was not to fall off of the road that they were walking on. Several hundred yards below them was a vast blanket of yellow clouds that was far too thick for even Mercury's visor to scan through. But despite their present condition of deceased, they'd decided unanimously to watch their steps while traveling along the narrow road - even though they had some power to float from their battles with the mercenary aliens, none of them wanted to take the chance of falling below the cloud bank. Mars had especially gotten some awful feelings about what was beneath it.   
  
The road itself seemed to be the only viable structure anywhere for miles in the vast pink and yellow emptiness, though its serpentine shape had freaked Venus out quite a bit, and Mars had empathize with her - the idea of walking on what could've been a monstrous snake was spine-chilling even though they all were dead.   
  
The patterns etched into the stone had closely matched reptilian scales, complete with stony spikes on both sides of the road. And while this road had to have been used by all sorts of dead souls since the beginning of time, it wasn't worn or broken whatsoever - in fact, it looked as new as the day it had been carved. It stretched long and far in both directions with various twists, turns, and loops, almost like a demented-looking roller coaster at certain points.   
  
After walking along the snake road for a short time, the four Sailor Soldiers had reached their destination: a long line of deceased souls - most of which were of human origin to their dismay - that led up to the eventual seat of judgement. The line ran for quite a ways, several miles from what Mercury's visor indicated. It eventually ended at an immense building in the distance. The structure was comparable in size to some of the lesser wings of the palace, and it was designed after an ancient oriental-style castle, its walls a pure white color and its curved, shingled roof making it look all the more intimidating. However, for the relatively fast time they made on travelling to get to the long line, things had certainly hit a dead stop at that point - nobody had moved for the past forty minutes, and Jupiter was beginning to get restless at the holdup.   
  
"How much longer are we going to wait?" She was pacing back and forth relentlessly, her posture tense and anxious. "Well, why the hell aren't we moving?! Who's holding up the line up there!!"  
  
"Jupiter, calm down," Mercury gently said as she glanced at some of the auspiciously decorated bystanders waiting ahead of them. A few of the nonhumans were giving them nasty glares while some of the humans didn't seem to notice, most of them too caught up in depression to notice the new arrivals.  
  
"Calm down?! How do you expect me to calm down after what just happened!" Jupiter still wasn't done. "I just got blasted to pieces by a dirty alien son-of-a-bitch, we don't know what they're doing to ChibiUsa or the others back there, and what are we doing?? We're stuck here waiting, doing absolutely nothing! It's not fair..."  
  
"Jupiter!!" Venus grabbed her friend by the shoulders, shaking her a bit. "Stop this...it's not helping anything. Whether or not we were able to make a difference back there doesn't matter anymore - we're dead, gone from Earth...there's nothing we can do now. There's no sense in thinking about it now."  
  
Mars felt the air leave her lungs, depression overcoming her. Despite having regained her sight and body after her death, they WERE gone...for good this time. They'd given every ounce of energy they could against the alien mercenaries in another of a never-ending series of wars that they'd all endured throughout their long lifetimes, and they'd finally met their match, just like any other nameless dying soldier on the battefield. That idea struck even more gloom into Sailor Mars; she suddenly felt completely worthless to herself - so many battles, so many victories and defeats, and in the end, they were nothing more than four more corpses on the ruined Crystal Tokyo streets, inconsequential to their world in one sudden instant.  
  
"Venus..." Jupiter's voice was calmer, less volatile. Venus released her grip on her, and Jupiter dropped down to the ground, slumping her shoulders. "Sorry...sorry, guys...I just feel so useless. They were still toying with us out there, no matter what we did to retaliate. I'm so tired of us being the weak ones, the ones on the defensive end. We never got the chance to even fight back against those bastards...and now we'll never get another chance to fight again."  
  
"I know how you feel..." Venus turned away from their group. "How could I let him control my own power so easily...we might've been able to beat him if I hadn't messed it up...at the very least, we could be alive right now. I'm so sorry that I helped that freak kill us, Jupiter."  
  
"Don't worry, Venus. I'm beginning to think that our efforts were in vain from the start anyhow," Jupiter added as she wrapped her arms around her knees. "So many attempts, pushing myself so hard just to get a scratch on that bastard...And then putting Saturn in that bad position of choosing our lives over ChibiMoon's...she must feel terrible about having to see us die without being able to do anything."   
  
"Hey..." Mercury walked past Mars and forced a small smile toward her teammates. "None of us knew what to expect from the enemy, as it always seems to be. We were outclassed, and they were the better fighters. We all knew back even during the Old Era that death was a possibility every time we faced a youma or a daimon or a lemures, we just never acknowledged it with as many victories that we achieved. But losing even now doesn't make any of us weak. If we were weak, we wouldn't have stood to the end fighting for our queen and our kingdom. It was just our time to finally die."  
  
"Always the rational thinker, Mercury..." Venus didn't seemed convinced. "But it doesn't make losing seem easier, especially with our friends still back there fighting to stay alive."  
  
"I know, Venus," Mercury sighed. "I was the first one to experience that, you know."  
  
Mars silently recalled the last moments of her life. She'd been blinded, but her immense rage toward the powerful giant Tridyx had somehow triggered new heights of energy from within her soul. She'd almost been afraid of the amounts of power flowing from her, but even that wasn't enough to slow Tridyx down. The suicide attack had seemed like the perfect solution...a brief few seconds of searing pain and her life in exchange for ridding the universe of the barbaric monster and giving her friends a better chance of living. She'd been utterly crushed inside after enduring the trial and appearing in the afterlife, only to have Jupiter and Venus arrive mere minutes later and report that Tridyx was still alive and stronger than ever. She still felt ready to vomit in self-disgust at her weakness. She could still hear that maniacal cackle ringing through her head, mocking her sacrifice for all it was worth.  
  
She clenched her fists, biting her lip as anger and frustration swelled up suddenly within her.  
  
"So weak..." she muttered softly. "How could I be so weak...tossed aside like garbage."  
  
"Mars?" Mercury said softly from behind her. Sailor Mars turned around, calming herself as she looked at her friend. "Jupiter told me that you underwent that power surge and sacrificed yourself after I was killed...you called me your best friend, and you swore revenge against that alien monster for my sake, even though it cost you your life."  
  
"It was true," Mars smiled as Mercury's gloomy face seemed only to get worse with guilt. "You and I have been through a lot...seeing you dead just did something to me that even I can't explain. I just wanted to tear him apart for what he did to you. And don't apologize for driving me into the suicide attack. Killing that bastard by any means necessary was the least I could do for him killing someone as close to me as you are."  
  
"Thank you," Mercury shyly said, finally looking a bit more cheerful as she squeezed Mars's shoulder. "It means a lot to me, Rei, I thought you should know."  
  
"Don't mention it," Sailor Mars nodded to her. "But I wonder...how do you think the others are faring right now? It's been quite a while since Jupiter and Venus were...sent here. Nobody else has been killed for some time."  
  
"I'd rather not guess at it," Mercury replied uneasily. "But if the Outers did come to help ChibiMoon, they can hold their own for a while, I'm sure. But I do wish we had some way of knowing what was going on over there."  
  
"I believe I can fill you in on some of the details," A familiar voice spoke from a few feet away. Mars whirled around, gasping at who had just appeared. She could've teleported here in physical body, Mars didn't think that was out of the reach of the woman's mysterious powers, but the sparkling gold halo hovering above her head made her as dead as the rest of them. "Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, I am pleased to see that you can see some bright side to this whole affair."   
  
"Sailor Pluto!!" Venus exclaimed.  
  
"It's good to see you, my friends," she gently spoke as she approached the group. "I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get to you before you were called to your judgement, but at least a few things have gone in our favor today."  
  
"It seems that way," Jupiter agreed as she stood up. "But I didn't see you at the battle before Venus and I were killed. Did some of those alien soldiers manage to kill you?"  
  
"No, I was there and I faced the wrath of the alien Tridyx shortly after the two of you died," Sailor Pluto said with a crestfallen tone. "That's how I came to be here. Even my power wasn't enough to stop the rogue...and in my own sacrifice, I gave my life to ensure Small Lady's safety."  
  
"ChibiMoon's still alive?!" Venus was excited at the news, eager to pry Sailor Pluto for the details. "What in the world was happening back there? Have the others made any progress against those monsters??"  
  
Sailor Pluto was quiet for a moment, and Sailor Mars caught a peculiar look in her eyes. She definitely had something to tell them, but something about what she saw in the time soldier's eyes gave her the impression that she wouldn't be just telling them about the recent happenings on the battlefield.  
  
"Well...you could say that progress may be made," she began. "But before I go any further, I have to tell you something, something the queen and I have been keeping from you for a little while..."  
  
***  
  
Vegeta dropped down next to them wordlessly, his body still coated with white energy, and Gohan could easily tell that he'd seen some action. Spots on his otherwise white body armor were blackened and smoking, probably from ki blasts, and his lower neck had been slightly singed as well.  
  
"What happened?" Gohan asked the question out of instinct, but he suddenly regretted it as the Saiyan shot an icy glare in his direction. "N...never mind..."  
  
"Where did they go?" Vegeta simply said as he powered down. A small sneer crossed his face suddenly, much to Gohan's surprise. "Don't tell me you actually got them to trust us to follow them to their nest? You and your Namek friend must be better negotiators than I thought."  
  
"What's your deal with those princesses, Vegeta?" Gohan asked. "You seemed to be really interested in confronting them back there."  
  
"I don't have to explain my intentions to you, son of Kakarotto," he sharply replied. "But I will say this: don't be too shocked if that tan-haired sword-wielder gives you the cold shoulder from now on. She knows who you and I really are, and she has some old grudges against our kind."  
  
"Wait a second..." He replied. "Did you tell them that we were Saiyans?"  
  
Vegeta turned and began walking ahead, sensing the active battle powers to guide him in the direction of his associates. "She'll hate us more than you would imagine," he called back one more time before dashing forward and out of sight.  
  
"What was that about, Gohan?" Chaozu asked, confused more than ever from the blank stare he was giving to the Saiyan hybrid.  
  
"After you guys took off to fight the alien commanders," Gohan explained as both Z Warriors lifted themselves into the air, preparing to fly in order to make up for their lagging. "He offered to keep Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune - those were the two Sailor Soldiers we were talking to in the street - out of the battle with the aliens."  
  
"Offered? Vegeta never offers anything unless it gets him something in return."  
  
"That's what I thought," Gohan and Chaozu soared forward in the direction of the pure kis given off by the four surviving Sailor Soldiers. Where they went, the palace would surely be. "But I wonder why it would be such a big deal for the Sailor Soldiers to know that he and I are Saiyans. I mean, the Saiyans have been dead for centuries at this point, how would they even know about them?"  
  
"I think you'll find out soon enough, if not from Vegeta then from the Sailor Soldiers themselves."  
  
They zipped through stacks of collapsed rubble - the remnants of what had to have been grand crystal structures before the aliens destroyed them - and they eventually came to the edge of the actual city. Beyond the last street of ruined buildings, the landscape melded from pavement and asphalt into a roughly spherical meadow that spanned several city blocks long and even more wide.   
  
At the foot of the grassy plain was a white, gem-encrusted barrier that extended around the entire perimeter and stood at a substantial height. Taller, separate white spires spaced out along the wall had attached searchlights that were sweeping the area several hundred feet away from the ring, keeping a sharp lookout for enemy intruders, no doubt.  
  
Beyond the wall, the vast plain itself was bustling with activity. Though Gohan couldn't discern much from the air, he could see some trails of smoke rising from the ground, though it seemed to be coming from controlled fires rather than from some battle-ignited blaze. Smaller figures dotted the area - huge groups were settled into some regions and others moved about at a frantic pace. Makeshift shelters and tents had been erected on the grounds, and Gohan spotted a few forms moving about around them. It seemed as if some of the survivors of the city attack had clustered toward the plain and behind the barrier for safety, and much of what probably was just green pastures was currently occupied by them and their settlements. But even with the huge numbers packed onto the meadow, the city areas that he had seen had probably been able to support scores more, giving him a bad feeling about how much damage the aliens had managed to cause already.  
  
In the middle of the plain sat an incredibly huge and regal-looking complex that seemed to loom over the crushed city. Tall towers of crystal-like material stretched many stories high around one grand crystalline spire that rose well above the rest. They gleamed brightly as the moon and stars shined softly on them. From what Gohan could tell, the crystal matter that composed the towers had more to it than he had initially assumed after observing the devastated city buildings - the material wasn't transparent as crystal was. Some of the battle damage inflicted on the structure - which included cracked, partially melted, or disintegrated sections of some of the taller towers - also probably would've shattered normal crystal. Attached to the bottom and around the towers was several circular levels encased in the crystalline substance which probably served as the main levels of the illustrious complex. The front of the main level was preceded by a grand set of crystal steps that was at least several yards wide. Those steps connected the main entrance to an intricately carved path of marble and various gemstones that cut through the grassy fields all the way the edge of the defensive wall.  
  
"NeoQueen Serenity's palace, I assume," Gohan said as they touched down next to the other members of the group. Vegeta had managed to catch up with the others, and was now standing several yards away from them, deep in thought.   
  
They noticed that Sailor Uranus had relinquished Sailor Pluto's body, and it was now on the shoulders of Sailor Neptune, who looked to be struggling a bit to hold the taller woman's corpse. Then, Gohan spotted a tall, middle-aged man dressed in a jet black uniform standing at the entrance to the ornate yet sturdy-looking defensive barrier. Two younger looking men dressed in similar garb were flanking him from both sides. The middle man seemed a bit more decorated than his comrades, a few multi-colored bars attached to his upper right chest and metal armor pieces protuding from the shoulders of his actual attire.  
  
"Captain Benson," Saturn said as she saw the man heading out toward the group with his escorts. She was leaning a bit on her glaive as ChibiUsa dropped down next to her wordlessly, still looking equally exhausted from the day's events. She kept her eyes averted from the group, resting he face against her knees.  
  
"Your troops?" Piccolo inquired as he stood a short distance away, eyeing the black-clad men carefully. His narrowed gaze was deep and penetrating, causing the two escorts to draw back slightly, their slightly shaking hands falling on their sword hilts.  
  
"Yes, all of the black uniformed men you'll be seeing are members of the Crystal Tokyo Special Forces, our elite soldiers that have been helping us to combat the alien menace. But...unfortunately, they haven't experienced this type of combat before, and as a result, their numbers are..."  
  
"I see..." Piccolo said. "It's no surprise, swords can't match up to energy techniques very easily."  
  
"Anyhow," Uranus continued as Sailor Saturn didn't speak again. "The man in the the middle is Royce Benson, our captain of the palace guards and one of our best soldiers. He normally commands the home forces inside the palace, but with the army dwindling, he's taken over general command of the entire remaining Special Forces. I'll head out and explain what's been happening today, he'll trust my words and the seven of you in turn."  
  
"Is he even in command of the four of you?" Tenshinhan asked as his three eyes focused on Sailor Uranus. She seemed to cringe slightly as she glanced up at the fighter's twitching third eye.  
  
"Not exactly," Sailor Uranus replied as she turned. "Sailor Neptune, Sailor Saturn, and Sailor ChibiMoon would normally act as independents in a battle involving the Crystal Tokyo Special Forces. But as for me, I am one of the head commanders of the army during lulls such as these. But I normally leave troop commands to him during an actual battle while I join the Sailor Soldiers. I prefer fighting alongside my own family than dealing with mass army battle tactics."  
  
Family...? Gohan wondered. Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune had seemed unusually close for fighting partners, but he couldn't help but imagine how they were related as family.  
  
"I'll return in a moment," she said as she headed off to meet the soldiers. All of them exchanged salutes as they met. What further dialogue occurred from there, Gohan couldn't hear from where he was standing.   
  
***  
  
Sailor Uranus took more time than all of them expected to deliver whatever report she needed to the guard captain. As the seconds stretched into minutes, the group gradually began to splinter into smaller pairings, a lot of them dropping onto the grass and muttering amongst themselves. Gohan, Krillin, and Piccolo were silently observing the conversation between the guard captain and Sailor Uranus, the Namek's mind firmly fixated on progressing in their mission. His eyes had narrowed and the scowl on his face was growing larger by the minute despite a few kind words from his pupil every now and then. It was clear that he didn't want to be kept waiting for too much longer.  
  
As Yamcha exchanged a few friendly nods with the Sailor Soldiers, all of whom were seated patiently on a small hill, he wandered over toward Tenshinhan and Chaozu, who were carefully studying the elaborate structure before them.  
  
"Not much of a defense," Yamcha quietly noted to them as a searchlight passed over their heads. "Just a large wall to keep out enemies who could easily fly right over it? These guys don't have any idea what they're dealing with."  
  
"Perhaps," the bald muscular fighter replied. "But I can feel some kind of power surrounding this area, a kind that's unfamiliar to me."  
  
"Funny," Yamcha's gaze narrowed as he glanced around. "I can't feel anything."  
  
"My senses are a bit more fine-tuned than yours, Yamcha."  
  
The scar-faced Z Warrior snuffed at the comment. "Cute. Then how come you don't have a sense of humor like most other normal people?"  
  
"He's right though, Yamcha," Chaozu agreed. "I began to notice it, too, right after we arrived at the gates. There's definitely some kind of aura surrounding this place, and even I can't describe it."  
  
"If you guys are playing mind games with me, then cut it out," Yamcha grumbled. "Seriously, I don't feel anything except our own kis!"  
  
"Calm down, friend," Tenshinhan was trying to concentrate on the unknown force, his facial muscles tensing as he continued to analyze it. "It's...a pure force, much like the Sailor Soldiers' own kis. But as to where and what exactly it is, I can't say."  
  
"If we started sensing it when we got here, it could be coming from inside the palace," Chaozu suggested. "What do you guys think?"  
  
"I think the two of you are just being paranoid after today's fight," Yamcha said with confidence. "I may not have as 'fine-tuned' senses as both of you, but I think I'd be able to notice something like that if I could locate the Sailor Soldiers from so far away."  
  
"But the feeling is so faint," Chaozu debated with him. "What could it be?"  
  
"Well, what about the others? Maybe Gohan, Krillin, or Piccolo managed to find this mystery energy that doesn't exist." Stubborn as always, Yamcha refused to give in. "Come on, you guys--"  
  
"It's doubtless that Piccolo's already noticed it," Tenshinhan cut off the sarcastic remark. "His mental powers are even greater than ours. As for Gohan and Krillin, we'll just have to wait and see. Something this small could easily escape his notice despite their awareness."  
  
"Let's just keep this to ourselves for now," Chaozu said as he peered around at the waiting group. Nobody seemed to notice their low-toned conversation. "We'll deal with it later when we're all together."  
  
"Got it," Tenshinhan nodded. "Let's disperse before we draw any attention to our discovery. No sense in alarming the others yet."  
  
"H..hey...!" Before Yamcha could interject, Chaozu and Tenshinshan sidled off in their own directions, continuing to observe the site as if nothing had happened. "What the hell...you guys are too much. Next thing I know, you'll be telling me that there're ghosts in the attic..."  
  
  
***   
  
He's like a statue...what's he thinking about over there?  
  
During the rather lengthy wait, Gohan had taken some time to observe Vegeta's rigid posture and far away gaze. After not seeing so much as a flinch out of him in several minutes, Gohan contemplated asking the Saiyan prince what the problem was, but remembering the snap he'd received after inquiring about the fleeing alien soldiers, he quickly changed his mind. From what the hybrid could sense, tense energy was seething within the Saiyan prince. He'd felt such festering buildups within Vegeta before, right before his battles with Gohan's father and Frieza. Whatever had happened between him and the aliens had to have been serious for him to be acting so solemn.  
  
Maybe the aliens managed to escape him and he won't admit it.  
  
"What's taking so long?" Krillin muttered as he adjusted the body on his shoulders. "Did Sailor Pluto keep everybody in the dark about our arrival?"  
  
"Seems so," Gohan replied as he spotted the guard captain shaking his head toward Sailor Uranus. "Somehow, I don't think that this is going to be easy."  
  
"Relax, Gohan, we've got witnesses, remember?" Krillin said. "Once Uranus explains to the guard captain, we'll be set to go. By the way, what's that you have in your hands?"  
  
Gohan showed Krillin the garnet-tipped staff that he'd kept hold of. "I picked it up from the battlefield after you guys took off. I don't think it's any ordinary staff from the power I can sense from within it. Could it have belonged to one of the aliens?"   
  
"That's actually Sailor Pluto's time staff," Neptune answered. "I'm surprised that I didn't see you with it when you arrived. It's a source of her power, both in battle and in controlling time. Don't get too excited over retrieving though, Gohan, she's the only one who can make use of it."  
  
"The only one...?" Gohan suddenly began wondering. "But...we were brought here by a portal that was created by her power. If she's dead..."  
  
"No, don't tell me...are we stuck here??" Krillin finished, suddenly becoming nearly frantic.  
  
"A portal?" Sailor Saturn said as she listened carefully, ignoring the frightened monk. "How did she create this portal? Was she there when she materialized it?"  
  
"No, unfortunately," Tenshinhan replied as he adjusted the corpse in his arms. "She had taken off from our time to return here and assist you in battle before we could reach her. The ruby crystal that she left to our Earth guardian was what created the portal. He energized it with his holy power to cause the transformation."  
  
"We got here in one piece, but something went wrong somewhere," Yamcha continued. "We were dumped on an out-of-the-way corner of the city, too far to reach the aliens at a good flying speed without their grunts jumping on top of us."  
  
"I've heard of such relics of hers before," Saturn continued. "She hardly made them unless an emergency came up. But they react differently, they're not bound to Setsuna-mama's life or death. The only way that the portal that you arrived in should close is by Setsuna-mama's word alone. Even in death, the portal should still work if she hadn't yet given it the command to close."  
  
"It would make sense," Neptune added. "Sailor Pluto might've considered her own demise into her plan, and the portal would allow you to return to your time in the event of her death."  
  
"Good..." Gohan muttered to himself. "That's what I wanted to know..."  
  
The plan would work then. If that portal could still be used, then all he had to do was inform the Sailor Soliders about the Dragonballs and convince his own friends that it was a task worth undertaking. If they could get Bulma's Dragon Radar, they could easily find all seven balls in no time at all.  
  
"Gohan?" Krillin asked aloud. "What are you talking about?"  
  
Gohan tensed up, realizing that his excitement had caused him to speak a bit too loud. And as much as Krillin would understand and agree with the plan, it would be best to take things a step at a time: if the Sailor Soldiers were indeed as exhausted physically and emotionally from the day's events as they seemed, then now wouldn't be the best time for planning the next move.   
  
"Err..." he kept his voice low so as not to draw any attention. "I'll explain later, Krillin, promise."  
  
As utterly lost as the monk appeared, he nodded anyhow, trusting his friend's judgement.  
  
"Either way, it's good that you recovered it instead of leaving it with the dead. I'll hold onto it for now," Sailor Saturn offered. Gohan readily passed the iron staff to her, and as she reached for it, her hand connected with his in the process. He looked up at her, and he saw the same look of sadness in her eyes that he'd noticed before at the battle site; she seemed to be holding back a few tears as she clutched the staff tightly. "Thank you for retrieving it, Gohan."  
  
"Yeah...no problem," he offered a small smile that gave no consolation to Sailor Saturn as she quickly turned away, blinking rapidly to dissipate any tears.   
  
Sailor Pluto meant a lot to her. Gohan mused, frowning at the distraught girl as she moved away. He glanced back at Piccolo, who was watching silently and with no apparent emotional reaction to Sailor Saturn.  
  
"Empathy can be strong, Gohan," he mumbled down to the boy. "If you know what I mean."  
  
Gohan stared after the preoccupied Saturn, seeing a small piece of himself within the girl after Nappa had killed Piccolo all that time ago.  
  
"I wonder if she's planning to make a book out of this day alone with the way she's carrying on," Krillin asked with an annoyed tone as he glanced after Sailor Uranus, who was still in serious conversation with the trio of soldiers. "I mean, come on, how much longer is this going to take?"  
  
"Give them some patience, Krillin, this can't be easy for any of them," Tenshinhan replied. "Those troops look a bit more than surprised to see four of their warriors dead and seven unknowns taking their places, after all."  
  
"Five, actually, Tenshinhan," Sailor Neptune corrected him.  
  
"Five...?" Krillin recounted the corpses. "But we only picked up four, did we miss one of them?"  
  
"No," ChibiMoon, who'd been a motionless shadow on the grass for the last several minutes, croaked in reply, uncurling her knees and lifting her face up. She cleared her throat, taking a few seconds to regain herself. "Sailor Mars was the last one, and she blew herself up trying to kill that barbarian Tridyx."  
  
"I see..." Gohan dropped the subject entirely after hearing the words and seeing the princess's face. There was no point in bringing up the death aspect more than necessary. He casually strolled over to her and dropped down beside her, admiring the looming structure beyond the wall. "This is an incredible palace...I never imagined that it would be anything like this!"  
  
ChibiMoon forced a small laugh, her sadness somewhat abating momentarily. "You get used to it after living in it for so long, though the exciting parts of it never get old. Once we get inside, I'll be more than happy to show you around if you'd like."  
  
Gohan smiled and nodded gratefully. "Thanks! I'd love to learn about this place. Let me guess, you guys must live in that big tower in the middle, right?"  
  
ChibiMoon nodded. "That's the royalty's tower. All of our own rooms are in that area, and the smaller towers are reserved for the palace officials and their work. The guest suites are in the western tower, too, though they've probably stocked them with whatever survivors aren't out on this field. I'll gladly show you around the rest of the palace later on."  
  
"I can't wait!" he smiled back at her, glad to have raised her spirits at least. One thing that struck him by surprise was a tiny brush against his hand. Glancing down, he saw ChibiMoon's white-gloved hand slightly on top of his fingertips, inching their way a bit further on. But when he looked up at the princess again, he noticed that she had turned her head away from him, a peaceful smile spreading across her face as she stared out into the distance.  
  
The moment was broken as Piccolo's brash voice called the Saiyan hybrid over to him. He threw ChibiMoon a last quick smile before leaping up and dashing over to his mentor.  
  
Dad was right about one thing. he thought as he glanced back at the smiling ChibiMoon. Girls are very strange.  
  
***  
  
"She offered to show you around?" Piccolo asked with a widened eye and an amused tone.  
  
"Yeah, after things were settled down here," Gohan replied. "Is something wrong, Mister Piccolo?"  
  
Piccolo shook his head quickly and moved on.  
  
"It's not a bad idea, especially since it'll probably be our base of operations for a while," Piccolo remarked as he motioned for Gohan to follow him. They walked over to the seated Sailor Neptune. "Tell me, how much of the ground here has the enemy taken?"  
  
"You're standing on the only ground they haven't managed to capture or totally destroy yet," Neptune replied as she stood up, lifting Sailor Pluto's body onto her shoulders. "Their whole campaign so far has been one gigantic rampage. Killing and destruction have been their only goals so far, and it has taken its toll: we're down to only several hundred of our soldiers at this point, and with five of the Sailor Soldiers gone..."  
  
"Relax, Sailor Neptune," Tenshinhan spoke up from where he was holding the brunette's body. "We've got more than enough power within our group to put up a resistance. We just have to tell the queen that we're here, and then we can get some plans together."  
  
"That could be a bit more difficult than you think," Neptune anxiously said. "You see...barely a day before this horrific battle, the enemy launched a surprise raid on our palace from all sides. They caught us completely off-guard, and much of our remaining fighting forces were killed or wounded in the process."  
  
"Don't tell us that they...?" Chaozu said with an alarmed voice.  
  
"They didn't kill her, but..." Neptune mournfully replied, anger suddenly increasing in her voice. "They took her hostage and ran away, the cowards! We had no way to track her, and Uranus, Saturn, and myself were busy searching for her in the outskirts of the city when the three alien commanders made their attack on the palace."  
  
That wasn't good news. With Sailor Pluto dead, Gohan had been hoping that testimony from Serenity herself would calm suspicious intentions from Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune and provide a symbol of unity between their group and the Crystal Tokyo Special Forces. With her out of the picture, it would be an arduous task earning the trust of Sailor Uranus especially. If the mistrust were to continue beyond this point, Gohan wasn't even sure if they'd agree to letting them go back and retrieve the Dragonballs from their time era.  
  
"This surprise raid..." Piccolo seemed more thoughful than inquisitive. "Were your deceased comrades involved in the defenses?"  
  
"Of course, all of us were," Neptune answered. "If it weren't for our efforts, I don't think our Special Forces soldiers could've withstood the onslaught. It was probably their own sense of sadistic timing that they followed up the kidnapping with three of their best commanders launching their own attack..."  
  
"I see..."  
  
"Is something wrong, Piccolo?" she asked.  
  
"No...no, nothing's wrong." He quickly answered.  
  
"Since the queen has a pure ki similar to others of your group," Tenshinhan thoerized. "Then I don't think she's anywhere in the areas we've been through. Your kis were really distinguishable from the rest of the enemy soldiers, we would've been able to pick her up in our senses if she was close by."  
  
"Kis?" Neptune asked curiously. "What do you mean 'kis?'"  
  
"It's what allowed us to track you here in the first place," Yamcha spoke up. "Every warrior, no matter how small or weak, emits a certain amount of fighting energy, called ki in our era. The kis of you and your friends are unique because they're not simply aggressive charging and bursts of energy - your powers may enhance your ki to give it a special purity."  
  
"And your senses can detect this ki?" Saturn asked.  
  
"We're a bit of an exception," Krillin continued. "We've trained long enough in the right techniques to sense an opponent's true ki as well as being able to hide our own--"  
  
"Not any average grunt can do that though," Vegeta offered, cutting Krillin off harshly. "The colored machines that they wear on their faces? They're called scouters, and they can detect even the smallest amounts of ki if necessary. If you don't know how to hide your ki completely, you'll be spotted no matter how well you physically conceal yourself."  
  
"So that's how they managed to find the queen even in the hiding spot we picked for her..." Saturn muttered to herself.  
  
"And how do you know so much about the aliens' technology, Saiyan?" Neptune snapped at Vegeta, causing the rest of the group a bit of a surprise - they didn't expect Vegeta to reveal his origin to the Sailor Soldiers.  
  
Vegeta laughed as he dropped down onto the grass. "This technology is nothing new to this time period, princess. In fact, this kind of machinery was in use even back during our own era. Congratulations - you're being beaten by outdated, twenty-century old technology."  
  
Neptune didn't offer anything more than a seething glare at the Saiyan; she didn't seem willing to get into an argument at this point. The Saiyan reference did confirm a few things with Gohan however.  
  
So they do have resentment toward Saiyans... he mused as he watched Neptune glare back at Vegeta. But why...  
  
He added the question to his already-long list that he had for the Sailor Soldiers after things had settled down. But further talk would have to wait: Sailor Uranus was coming over with the uniformed man.  
  
"Z Warriors, I'd like to introduce you to the captain of the guards in our palace, Royce Benson," she motioned to the middle-aged man next to her. Captain Benson's face looked solemn as he inspected the new arrivals, but Gohan could sense a feeling of valor within him: he'd probably seen more battles than even Piccolo and Tenshinhan in his lifetime.  
  
"This is quite an interesting bunch that Sailor Pluto has set us up with..." he said at last. "Gentlemen, first of all, allow me to express my gratitude for assisting our surviving princesses in the preceding conflict and for helping to drive out the alien commanders. Secondly, may I have your names?"  
  
Introductions followed, at least for six of them anyhow. Vegeta was too busy staring off into the distance horizon and not paying attention to the guard captain at all, so Piccolo had been compelled to provide the information about him, though he wisely didn't mention the fact that he was a Saiyan, let alone a Saiyan prince.  
  
"A pleasure, gentlemen," Benson replied cordially, almost like a diplomat. "Now, Sailor Uranus has explained everything that happened out here tonight, including what you have told her personally about yourselves."  
  
"Oh, boy, I wonder what fantastic lies she's conjured up about us..." Gohan heard Vegeta mutter under his breath.  
  
Whether Benson overheard the Saiyan's snide remarks or not, Sailor Uranus certainly did as she shot a venomous glare in Vegeta's direction. Gohan saw Neptune quickly shaking her head toward her partner to calm her suddenly aggravated nerves.  
  
"I'll be holding a briefing session with the remainder of my soldiers to inform them of the latest developments as soon as we've laid the deceased to rest, so there's no need to worry about fearing resentment from the army," Benson continued. "Much of their morale has been depleted with the latest raids and the capture of the queen, so they more than likely won't have much will to reject or debate any newcoming allies."  
  
"That's a relief," Yamcha commented as Benson continued.  
  
"But before we move into the palace grounds, we have one other matter to deal with," the captain said. With one brisk turn, he whistled over to two other soldiers who were standing quietly near the gate. Both of them rushed over at their leader's command, and Gohan noticed several large burlap sacks in their hands. "And while this method is crude, it will be adequate to keep their deaths from being revealed."  
  
"You're going to cover it all up?" Yamcha asked as the soldiers dropped the sacks to the ground and motioned wordlessly for the bodies to be laid down. "What would be the point behind that? If they're princesses around here, don't you think it'll be a matter of time before someone finds out that they've been killed?"  
  
"You don't seem to understand," Benson answered. "Against any invading force, the Sailor Soldiers were our salvation. When they went out to battle the alien commanders that you defeated, the people and soldiers within the castle walls had all the faith in the world that they would return alive and victorious."  
  
"Can you imagine what would happen if the Crystal Tokyo survivors spotted the Sailor Soldiers not only dead, but being carried into the palace by a bunch of strange warriors?" Sailor Uranus finished. "Anarchy and chaos would erupt in that meadow, and whatever sense of order on these grounds that exists now would be gone in a heartbeat. Until we can think of a better plan, we've got to keep their deaths a secret."  
  
"I see your point..." Yamcha lowered the blonde's corpse so that the two soldiers could carefully pick her up.  
  
Tenshinhan, Krillin, and Sailor Neptune followed suit, helping the soldiers pack the corpses into the coarse burlap bags. Food labels were sewn into the material, giving the soldiers the perfect guise to conceal the bodies.  
  
"As long as we don't run into any starving children in there, I think we'll be okay," Krillin said half-heartedly as two more soldiers dashed out from the gate entrance to assist their fellow comrades in hefting the bulky bags inside.  
  
"If you'll follow me, we'll get indoors, and we can arrange some accomodating living quarters for all of you in the meantime."  
  
The captain motioned with his black-gloved hand for all of them to follow through the gate. As they passed through on a stone path, they hit a swamp of bustling activity taking place on the fields past the ring. Many soldiers dressed similarly to Captain Benson were passing by, talking with various groups of ragged Crystal Tokyo refugees and keeping them calm. Hastily erected shelters covered the grounds around the palace, ranging from burlap tents to makeshift shacks constructed out of gathered debris. Gohan spotted a few huge bonfires across the fields where several dozen or so citizens were gathered, trying to keep warm against the cold night as they discussed the current happenings around the war-ravaged city. The remainder of the survivors were either attempting to root some information out of the passing soldiers or huddled together in their shelters, the fear of being blasted to ashes by their savage attackers too great to bear despite being within protected grounds. Most of the citizens that Gohan saw were worn, their clothes tattered and their faces dirty, in some cases scarred or bleeding.   
  
"They must've hit this place quick and hard..." Tenshinhan noted as their contingent passed through the area. "I don't think any of these people got here without running into some troubles."  
  
Gohan concurred - many people were attempting to convince the soldiers to help their wounded. The medics were rushing around feverishly, their first aid supplies running much too short to deal with the heavy amount of injuries civilians. Some of the troopers seemed on the verge of exhaustion, collapsing on the grass just to grab a sip of water out of their bottles.  
  
"Most of them don't even look past their twenties," Krillin remarked.   
  
"A lot of reserves had to be called up after the initial onslaught," Neptune explained to them. Saturn was close behind her, looking extremely shy against the exposure of the civilians scattered around the meadow. She stuck close to Neptune, glancing around nervously. "They've grown up much more quickly than they expected, and no end seems in sight for them..."  
  
"I can see what you mean about them not offering much resistance to our presence," Piccolo said to the guard captain. "Are all of your forces located here?"  
  
"No, there are still some field scouting units and raiding parties out in the city attempting to delay the enemy's activities," Benson responded as he called one of the nearby medics over to him. "But much of our younger soldiers have been stationed here to assist with the civilians and to become better trained before being sent into combat."  
  
The soldier saluted the captain as he arrived.  
  
"Status?" Benson asked.  
  
"We've packed most of the palace living areas with as many civilians as possible," the boyish voice of the medic responded. "The watch has been doubled on the south side of the wall after enemy raiders tried to snipe at us from the area with energy discharges, and our scavenging units managed to make it within the gates with a healthy shipment of medical supplies, two men lost in the process."  
  
"What is the health of the king?"  
  
"He has not regained consciousness, but his condition has not worsened either," the medic replied as Gohan felt ChibiMoon cringe next to him. Fortunately, that situation could be remedied without much difficulty - they still had plenty of senzus left, and the recovery of their king would certainly at least boost morale for the disheveled people.  
  
"I see," Benson continued. "Which living quarters are still available?"  
  
"Only the suites in the royalty areas," the medic answered as he took a sip from a water canteen. "Shall I assign civilians to those sections as well, sir?"  
  
"No, that won't be necessary," Benson replied as he glanced back at the Z Warriors. "We have some new guests that will be joining us for a time, and I want the rooms prepared for them."  
  
"Excuse me, sir?" The medic looked back and finally seemed to notice the new faces of the Z Warriors for the first time, intrigued by their unusual appearances. "I've never seen these types before, sir, did they come from the Outer Sanctum?"  
  
"From outside the region actually," Benson lied. "But that is unimportant right now. Report to the officers inside and tell them to make the suites ready for these gentlemen."  
  
"Sailor Uranus?" the soldier noticed the tan-haired woman languishing behind the Z Warriors along with her counterparts, and a look of confusion and surprise came across his face. "But where are the others? Has the alien assault been staved off?"  
  
The soldier's inquisitive nature could've blown the smokescreen easily, but thankfully, the captain immediately dissuaded any further questions.  
  
"Never mind about them for now, soldier, they've got things under control out there," Benson quickly stifled the young medic. He quickly glanced around to his left and right - nobody else had noticed the group with all of the chaos occurring in the courtyard. "Make certain that the guards at the north gate let no one outside the ring, and deliver the order to have the suites prepared for these seven guests. That will be all."  
  
The medic seemed suspicious at the captain's explanation, but saluted without further hesitation. "Yes, sir, right away..."  
  
"Close call..." said Yamcha and the black-suited soldier hurried off. "But if that guy suspected as much, how long will it be before anyone else does?"  
  
"He's a curious type, I remember him," Benson sighed anxiously. "And that possibility does seem dangerously likely if no sign of the Inner Soldiers are found on the battle site. But come, before anyone else delays us."  
  
***  
  
The rest of the trek was quick and swift to avoid attracting onlookers. The gem-encrusted road led the group into a wall of sentries who were patrolling outside the elegantly-carved gates of the palace itself. The captain's presence assured a quick pass through the sword-wielding soldiers, and Benson led the Sailor Soldiers and Z Warriors through the jeweled gates, stopping at the foot of a set of wide crystalline steps.  
  
"Welcome to Crystal Tokyo Palace, gentlemen," he said. "It may seem imposing at first, but give it some time and you'll know the hallways like the back of your hand. But as much as I would like to escort you the rest of the way, I have some affairs of state to take care of. I'll allow the Sailor Soldiers to direct you to the royalty suites. Until we meet again, gentlemen, I bid you all farewell."  
  
As the middle-aged guard captain spun around and headed off in the opposite direction, Sailor Uranus nearly dashed off after him out of instinct. He wasn't getting away so easily without giving her some answers as to his sudden hospitality to the foreigners.  
  
"Michiru, could you show them inside?" She whispered quickly to her beloved as the outsiders glanced around in amazement at the ornate decorations and banners adorning the main entrance. "I have to have a word with the captain."  
  
"Try not to be too long," Neptune murmured back to her. "We have to lay the others to rest first, and we can't dishonor them by getting so caught up with these fighters."  
  
"I'll be brief, don't worry." Kissing her on the cheek once, she darted off after the captain, catching up with him a short distance away, in front of the trainee barracks. She had a lot to say to him, especially since the report at the gates of the defense wall hadn't exactly gone in her favor despite her persistance.  
  
I tried, tried to tell him about their suspicious nature, and he batted it away as if it were nothing...  
  
"I figured I'd be hearing from you again shortly after my departure," he said as she approached him from behind. "And I have little patience left for paranoia, Sailor Uranus."  
  
"Not that you can officially shut my mouth, even with the elevated status of general commander," Uranus snapped back at him. "I just can't believe you chose to ignore everything I told you about them. Do you honestly think you have any idea what we're dealing with? I saw their power, Captain Benson, and letting those beings within our walls is an invitation to death!"  
  
"That's enough," Benson cut Uranus off as he turned around to face her. "I heard every word of your conspiracy theory when you informed me of the situation, and while your fears are not unfounded, I have been far more prepared for the coming of these warriors than you."  
  
That comment left Sailor Uranus speechless for the moment, and Benson was quick to follow it up.  
  
"Yes, the queen briefed me on the plan to bring those fighters forward in time," the captain admitted to her. "I personally hand-picked Lieutenant Seth Victor and Sergeant Trevor Fields of Gamma Battalion to send back the temporal probe that eventually delivered news of our crisis to the Z Warriors."  
  
"You knew..." Sailor Uranus was fuming inside, her anger now being more directed toward Serenity herself - how could she trust the guard captain with this sensitive plan but not one of her most loyal soldiers, one of her closest friends? "...And you went along with this plan, knowing full well the disaster it could bring?"  
  
The captain was hesitant to answer at first, massaging his forehead with one hand and looking worn down to his wit's end.  
  
"Haruka...what do you hear right now from behind those doors?" He motioned to the small rectangular building before him, its windows shrouded from the inside by beige-colored shades. "Nothing. It's because every soldier from the Gamma Battalion is dead. Every last one, including the two soldiers who were sent to program the probe. The only reason I'm coming to this building to to order the removal of the bodybags we've had to stack up in there!"  
  
He calmed himself a bit, clearing his throat.  
  
"The morgues within the palace are nearly filled to the brim, and we've been forced to convert the empty barracks into corpse storehouses...in this case, for the trainees of Gamma Battalion, all of which died in the palace ambush."   
  
Sailor Uranus felt her stomach knotting in sick depression at the realization - her own activities with the Sailor Soldiers had kept her away from the casualty lists for some time. Five thousand soldiers had comprised all of Gamma Battalion, and to know that even the youngest of cadets had gone down fighting on the front lines, far from living a full and enriching life, was a disparaging thought.   
  
Damn alien bastards...  
  
"Sailor Uranus, I can admire your pride as a warrior. Heaven knows I possess a great deal of that throughout all of my experiences. But we've got nothing left. Have you not seen the chaos out in the meadows and within the crumbling city? Didn't you witness the Inner Soldiers dying in a flash at the hands of the alien menace? We've been defeated, and by all rights of nature, the human race should be passing away by now. These beings...they could be our last chance out of oblivion."  
  
"You would trust our future to strangers from a different world than ours, captain?" she argued. "As desparate as times are, how can you or even Serenity imagine that merely seven creatures of power are our only salvation against an endless army of killers? Has the faith of you and the army wavered in us that much as to replace us with outsiders?"  
  
"Replace?" Benson said with a degree of disgust, revolted that Sailor Uranus even suggested the idea. "No...as much as it seems that way, you and your compatriots always have been and always will be our leaders and our greatest champions. But as a soldier and loyalist to NeoQueen Serenity, I must follow the best interests of our kingdom and the orders of my lady. Serenity has faith in the goodness of these individuals to aid us in this conflict, and her intuition with the Silver Crystal is difficult to surpass. Why can't you place some trust within these fighters, especially after they saved your lives out there?"  
  
Sailor Uranus breathed deeply in contemplation, her mind racing in several different directions. Her cautious side had not allowed a smidge of trust for the new arrivals since they had killed Tridyx and driven away his allies. Many different reasons had been presented in her mind as to which side of the fence the Z Warriors stood on.  
  
But one thing still remained clear to her, ending her internal disputes.  
  
"Any alliance with Saiyan blood," she replied firmly. "Is an alliance of disaster. Remember that when our deaths are delivered to us by their hands because of your naive planning."  
  
"If they deliver us all to death quickly," Benson said. "Then it will be much more preferable than slowly rotting away from this alien plague. Your comrades would've agreed---"  
  
"We'll see about that," she snapped. "The only task left to us in regards to the Inners and Sailor Pluto is to lay them to rest. In the meantime, I'll act together with these foreigners. But I'm only following the queen's orders and accepting their presence into our midst. Don't expect me to roll out the red carpet like you just did for them."  
  
The captain ignored the jab and replied.  
  
"The preparations for burial will begin at once. The highest remaining officers of the army shall be informed of the current situation and of the new arrivals. After we lay the princesses to rest, we shall decide what to do about the health of the king and of counterattacking the enemy. I suggest that all of you rest after the day's events."  
  
Sailor Uranus nodded in approval, the word 'rest' suddenly reminding her how exhausted she was mentally and physically.  
  
"And Haruka," Benson said one more time before the Outer Soldier departed. "The boy Saiyan may have been a dreadful twist for you, but the research prior to sending the probe back revealed a lot of positive feedback for the last remaining member of his race. Perhaps your judgment of the Saiyans isn't totally correct."  
  
"But it's not just the boy, it's---" she stopped herself, a sudden revelation clicking in her head. She stood frozen, wide-eyed for a moment as she remembered back to how Vegeta interacted with his associates, always ostricizing himself from the group, always putting up the emotional wall to protect his intentions from those around him, acting so much like an uninvited guest.  
  
And the captain doesn't regard him along with Son Gohan as a Saiyan, and something like that is impossible to miss if the research was so thorough...  
  
"Is something wrong, Sailor Uranus?" Benson asked with an arched eyebrow. "You look like you've seen a ghost."  
  
"Err...nothing, the fatigue is just getting to me," she lied hastily. "I'm going to find the others for now."  
  
"Very well, Sailor Uranus," Benson nodded and turned back toward the empty soldier barracks. "Carry on with what you need to do. We'll discuss the matter further once the soldiers have been briefed."  
  
Sailor Uranus saluted the captain and began a spirited walk back toward the palace entrance, her mind buzzing with this new detail.  
  
"The only person who acts like the uninvited guest..." she mused to herself. "IS the uninvited guest. It could explain why Setsuna didn't mention his presence among the group either...perhaps these Z Warriors aren't just his subordaintes after all..."  
  
One other thought subsequently followed. If the Saiyan prince was in her era even against the wishes of his own partners, then he had to have a completely different agenda than the others, and that made Vegeta even more dangerous to her and her people.  
  
She had to get into contact with one of the other Z Warriors, someone who could tell her more about the Saiyan and what his motives could've been. The boy Saiyan and the smaller fighters hadn't seemed to be much on Vegeta's level, nor had the three-eyed man or the lanky hotshot with the roving eyes outside the defense wall.  
  
"Piccolo..." she considered the green warrior for a moment, he being the only other one that she had direct contact with besides Son Gohan. He had been calm, precise, focused on things back out on the street, much like Vegeta except for the arrogance. "Perhaps great minds think alike?"  
  
She kept it in the back of her head for the moment. After things were settled, she'd approach Piccolo for a small chat...  
  
***  
  
Gohan had been amazed at the exterior of the palace. Close up, he'd beheld marvelously colored banners lining the semi-transparent marble-type construction material, each of them portraying brilliant patterns, symbols, and figures of Crystal Tokyo. Vibrant blue fire crackling within steel brazers cast a soft glow on the images, adding even more life to them.  
  
But as spectacular as the area outside the gates had been, the main hall inside had been ten times more incredible. Gohan found himself standing in a grand chamber stretching at least twenty-five yards long and twice that distance high. Great pillars of crystal and gems towered over the group, some of them damaged and cracked from energy blasts. The nearly crystal-clear floor was damaged in similar fashion, small corpse-shaped craters dotting the chamber along with multiple smears of dried blood.   
  
Must've been from that ambush that Sailor Neptune was talking about...   
  
Even in its disarray, the cathedral-like main hall still possessed its beauty. Several other torch-like brazers were scattered against the crystal walls and the pillars, lighting up the hall as well as an afternoon sun could. Echoing softly through the chamber were no more than a dozen low voices belonging to a Crystal Tokyo civilian team of engineers who were busily surveying the damage done to the area and attempting whatever repairs they could. They were so enraptured in their work that the presence of even the Sailor Soldiers went unnoticed to them.  
  
"It's amazing what they can accomplish if you give them free reign," Sailor Neptune remarked with a pleased look. "This place was about ten times worse less than a day ago."  
  
"The attack force must've been quite sizeable," Piccolo commented as he examined the bloodstains on the floor. "How many enemies?"  
  
"It was too hard to tell exact numbers," ChibiMoon answered him. "Nor did we actually have any time to count - we were too busy trying to stay alive."  
  
"This area wasn't the only place that they struck," Saturn added. "They hit the rear courtyard and the royalty towers as well, swarming in from every entrance. At times, it seemed like there was no end to them, and it still surprises me that they didn't lay waste to this palace when they had the chance. With their power and numbers, they could've done so effortlessly..."  
  
"Sadicism, I'd say," Tenshinhan suggested, folding his arms. "That's the only logical reason I can think of."  
  
"I wouldn't put it past these monsters..." Saturn spoke in a far-away voice, rubbing her eyes slowly. She looked positively exhausted despite the healing effects of the senzu bean. Gohan glanced at her drained face, and he realized that senzus didn't heal mental or emotional injuries, and the young princess seemed to be harboring many of those.  
  
Whatever was wrong, Sailor Neptune and Sailor ChibiMoon seemed to notice it as well.  
  
"Hotaru..." she rested a hand on Saturn's arm, turning to the others. "You've seen enough for one day...you'd better relax for a little while."  
  
"You too, Sailor Neptune," the small princess added with concern. "You look like you're ready to pass out..."  
  
"You guys can go ahead if you want to," Krillin said as he noticed the tired Saturn. "We can find our way around here by ourselves for a little while."  
  
"I don't think that would be such a good idea considering what Uranus and Captain Benson were telling us about outside," Piccolo said. "We're still strangers to this land, and complications could arise if we show ourselves to the civilians in the palace."  
  
"Yeah, Krillin, weren't you listening?" Gohan laughed at him, punching him in the arm.  
  
"Well...it's not that I wasn't listening...err...I..."  
  
"I think your mind was on Sailor Neptune, Krillin, am I right?" Chaozu snickered toward him lowly. "Along with Yamcha's. I saw the two of you staring back outside."  
  
"HEY!!!" he burst out, covering his mouth in embarassment.  
  
"I'm here, I'm here, what's going on!" Yamcha - who'd been quiet for the last five minutes, suddenly snapped to attention, his eyes wide open.  
  
All eyes suddenly turned to the two Kamesennin students, who were speechless and looking bright red in the face. Chaozu and Gohan chuckled under their breath as Tenshinhan hid his face in his hand.  
  
"Enough games, already," Piccolo grumbled. "Sailor Neptune, the guard captain was saying something about the king being in poor health?"  
  
"It's true, he was injured during the ambush, and he hasn't regain consciousness since that fight concluded," she nodded.  
  
"He hasn't?" The Namek looked concerned. "Take me and Gohan to him, Sailor Neptune, and we'll give him a senzu seed. If he's back in good health, at least it can help restore a bit of confidence and order around here."  
  
"Okay, our quarters are past the medical wing anyhow," Neptune agreed, though a degree of reluctance was showing in her voice. "ChibiMoon, could you take the rest of the warriors to the royalty suites? We'll meet up with the rest of you later."  
  
"Sure!" she was more than happy to oblige. "Come on, guys, follow me!"  
  
The small girl motioned for the group to follow her off to the west.  
  
"Here're the senzus, Gohan, try not to lose them!" Krillin dropped the bag into the Saiyan hybrid's hand. He got closer to Gohan's ear, murmuring softly. "And by the way, I wasn't looking that way at Sailor Neptune. Of course, you knew that didn't you, Gohan? You know how highly I respect the opposite se--"  
  
"Did you say something, Krillin?" Neptune's voice surprised the monk, and he turned see the Sailor Soldier standing only a few feet away, a wry smile on her face.  
  
"I, err, mean, I only was talking about," he stammered nervously, suddenly turning to catch up with the others who were already following the princess off to the west. "I mean, I'm going now, bye!!"   
  
Sailor Neptune chuckled to herself, leaving Gohan to wonder if she actually had heard the muffled commentary from Chaozu earlier. She glanced over at Gohan, who was trying his hardest not to laugh at Krillin's embarassment.  
  
"Wait a second..." she threw her gaze back over to the departing Z Warriors, noticing only four of them. "What happened to your Saiyan comrade?"  
  
Looking around the vast hallway, Gohan was surprised that he hadn't notice the Saiyan prince slipping out of their sight. There was no sign of him anywhere in the chamber.  
  
"I wouldn't worry too much, Sailor Neptune," Piccolo said calmly. "He's bold and stubborn, but he's not foolish enough to attack an entire army on his own or do something that would bring the six of us against him. He'll be lurking around here somewhere, I guarantee it."  
  
"Attacking the enemy is not what I'm worried about..." she replied. "His guise is nearly identical to the aliens' armor, and if one of our troops comes across him and attempts to attack him..."  
  
"Michiru-mama," Sailor Saturn tugged at the arm of Sailor Neptune. "Let's go and heal the king for now. Worry about Vegeta when he gives us real reason to worry."  
  
"You're right," Gohan agreed with her. "Lead the way, you guys."  
  
***   
  
Stupid fools...I could've announced my exodus, and they wouldn't have cared. They were too busy gawking at the dazzling architecture...  
  
Vegeta snuffed in disgust. The group was hardly there to gaze at artistic construction, nor were they there to perform charity for the people of the disheveled kingdom. Well, maybe the first six were, but he had his own plan. From his perch on the domed roof covering the main floors of the palace, he glanced around at his surroundings. Despite its fanciful design, the palace was formidable and tenacious - many structures would give immediately with the impact of even weak ki attacks while the crystalline walls had suffered generous but salvageable damage.  
  
But its position leaves much to be desired - up on a large hill with barely any defense mechanisms against hordes of aerial soldiers. How comforting...  
  
Even still, it would suffice as a place of protection and for planning a strategy against the alien armies. From the mess that they had created on Earth, it was safer to eliminate them now with his own hands than to risk compromising a piece of whatever future empire he was destined to rule over.  
  
I wonder where I am now... Vegeta marvelled in the thought, leaning back on the roof and staring out into the starry night sky. He had no doubt that an immortal, wizened version of himself was ruling over a vast area of the galaxy elsewhere if history followed its normal course. That his future empire didn't have a grip on a pathetic hovel like Earth in the future era didn't bother him too much - too many bad memories still lingered from his experiences on the humans' planet to even consider snaring it into his grasp. Obviously, his future self had come to the same conclusion.  
  
But to achieve that strategic goal would take quite some effort despite the forces he was allied with. The enemy opposition was larger than he had anticipated, and with warriors possessing the power and cunning of the female commander and her insect lieutenant, obtaining his objective could take some considerable work. The foul-up with the two retreating aliens already proved that much.   
  
"Damned wastes of life..." he grumbled, remembering the embarassment back in the city. He'd had those two cowards dead to rights, and those blasted idiots had stolen the two kills away from him.  
  
After a few initial surprise ki shots had scraped Vegeta, pure rage had taken over. How dare those fools, those common trash heaps of warriors scar him? Reciprocation had been quick and painful...not one of his attackers had been left alive and in one piece. That was an experience that Vegeta never grew tired of. No matter how weak or powerful one's opponent could be, hearing the cracking and shattering of their bone and sinew was always a satisfying taste of one's triumph.  
  
Still, the fact that he was even hit by their low-power ki beams incited his temper, and Vegeta had finally been able to decipher why he hadn't been able to sense the approach of the grunts in time to prepare himself.  
  
"Too much active ki in the atmosphere, just like with locating those Sailor Soldiers," he reminded himself. The fighting on the planet had to be intense and all-encompassing if that much ki had been present in the air. In that case, he had to watch his step - a sensory foul-up could leave him in the sights of a powerful foe with his guard down...  
  
He grinned and laughed the notion off. Who was he kidding? None of the dogs that the alien leaders had unleashed onto Earth could damage him with such low fighting power; it just made things a bit more interesting - the idea of fighting with only his own natural senses rather than his mentally attuned ones would make the game a tad more difficult to win. Only a tad however - he would still emerge as the winner when the smoke cleared.  
  
He turned his view out into the ruined city, the sounds of ki discharges and collapsing rubble echoing softly in the late night air. Fighting was still going on even this far into the night, and Vegeta was curious as to how many Crystal Tokyo soldiers and civilians were out there among the wolves...and as to how many had already been mauled.  
  
Frieza would've loved this type of carnage, a slow and painful death for his victims...  
  
But it wasn't him who was responsible for this chaos - Frieza was long dead, killed by Kakarotto's low-class hands...and nobody within his hierarchy of manipulative servants could hold an empire together for so long. Zarbon, Ginyu, and Dodoria were his most loyal, and all of them were in death with Frieza...unless...  
  
He shook off the sudden thought, his musings interrupted by a sudden eye-catch on the ground - Sailor Uranus was stalking past him, muttering to herself about something.  
  
"The fearless leader," he smirked softly, his tone mocking her. "Hotheaded little thing, aren't you? It's a shame that the ridiculous outfit doesn't go with her aggressiveness, or perhaps she could be somewhat intimidating."  
  
He laughed aloud at that thought, drawing attention from the skulking princess. As her gaze darted skyward, he floated down onto the ground from his perch.  
  
"What are you doing out here? You were supposed to follow the others inside!" she barked at him. "Do you want our troops to mistake you for an enemy soldier?!"  
  
"Glad to see you too, scout," he greeted her with an exaggerated bow and a twisted grin.  
  
"What did you call me??" her eyes widened in revulsion, and Vegeta could tell that her hatred for him was increasing by the second. Her posture became nearly defensive, as if she expected him to attack.  
  
As if I would waste my time and energy...besides, it's much more fun to toy with her.  
  
"Come on, Sailor Uranus, look at yourself!" He stood upright, folding his arms and almost scolding her with his voice. "If I didn't know any better and you didn't have the sword, I'd take you and the rest of your companions as girl scouts, little schoolchildren."  
  
She seemed to calm herself despite his arrogance. She stepped closer to him, her face inches away from his.  
  
"Listen, vermin," she glowered. "I don't want any trouble right now. And despite your group's generous 'acts of service,' don't expect me to treat any of you - especially you - like a hero. You've still got a lot to prove to us, Vegeta."  
  
"That's putting it mildly," Vegeta agreed. "I suppose you're wondering about my motives then, why an anti-hero such as myself is here against people I could call my brethren in combat."  
  
"I suppose you wouldn't mind telling me?" she played along, acting a bit calmer than he expected.  
  
"I would, but where's the fun in that?" he scoffed. "Besides, for you to understand the vision that I foresee with 'our' victory against these trash piles..."  
  
He pumped some ki energy into his fist, causing it to shine a brilliant white. It wouldn't have been enough to kill Sailor Uranus completely if he attacked with an energized swing, but it would definitely shatter some bones.  
  
"...You'd have to witness it first-hand. Would you like me to educate you?"  
  
"Someday, perhaps, when this is over," she fired back, not backing down at all. "But for now, you'd better move indoors before one of our soldiers tries to stab you in the back."  
  
"Not a bad idea," Vegeta shrugged as the energy dissipated. "I could use some relaxation at your palace's expense anyhow. Could the girl scout please direct me to my quarters?"  
  
Her composure nearly broke with that comment, and Vegeta suddenly found the perfect way to incite Sailor Uranus no matter what circumstance.  
  
"This way, 'your highness,'" she jabbed back, turning to walk off toward the palace. Vegeta chuckled once more and followed close behind her. He did have to give her credit for one thing as that little episode ended - when she'd turned away from him to escort him to the guest rooms, she'd kept her head cocked to the side, one eye on his every movement.  
  
Weak and ridiculous-looking... he admired. But not stupid.  
  
***   
  
The king was a mess, all right.  
  
Gohan peered over at the comatose figure lying on the bed on the far end of the room, his limbs bandaged and a large respirator covering nearly his entire face. The rise and fall of his chest was slow and erratic, and a good number of wires ran from stacks of machinery and hooked directly into the king's battered upper body. Half a dozen white-coated medics were quietly discussing things around the king's bed, and several more were monitoring his progress and vital signs, cataloguing them onto notepads and clipboards.  
  
I can see why Neptune asked ChibiUsa out of all of them to escort the others to the suites... Gohan had seen his own father with injuries as bad as the king's before, and it had been more than painful to see his body as mangled as severely as it had been.  
  
"Sailor Neptune?" One of the several doctors hovering around the sparse medical room hurried over to greet the new arrivals. He took exception to the two outsiders, lifting up his black-rimmed glasses to gaze closely at them. "Who in the world are these people? Have all of you been screened before coming in here?"  
  
"There's no time for that, doctor," Sailor Neptune stifled the questioning medic. "What is the condition of King Endymion?"  
  
The medic thankfully chose to reply to the Sailor Soldier instead of inquiring further about the outsiders.  
  
"His condition has worsened within the past few hours, and we've been unable to take him off of respiration. If we don't receive any more medical supplies from the city within a few more hours, thing make take some horrible turns..."  
  
"Respiration?" Piccolo repeated grimly, walking over and taking a look at the sleeping patient. The doctors and technicians surrounding the bed immediately dispersed, the imposing image of the Namek more than a few could handle. A few of them opened their mouths to protest, but a quick hand signal from Sailor Neptune was enough to silence them before too many words came out. Piccolo glanced back at the first doctor. "There's no way to remove the breathing mask or bring him back to consciousness?"  
  
"Heavens, no!" he shouted. "His respiratory systems have been deteriorating since he was brought in here. Taking away the unit right now could kill him!"  
  
"No way of swallowing a senzu seed in that state..." Piccolo shook his head, a tad crestfallen. "Sorry, Sailor Neptune, for getting your hopes up, but unless he's conscious enough to swallow one of the seeds, we can't help him."  
  
"Wait," Sailor Saturn chimed in shyly. "I think I may be able to help."  
  
"You have a way of getting him conscious again, Hotaru?" Gohan curiously asked her.   
  
"More than that, Gohan," she glanced back to him. "I can do the work of those magical beans of yours. With only a few seconds, I can completely heal His Majesty."  
  
"Healing?" Gohan gazed back at her in wonder. "You have that kind of power, too?"  
  
"Too?" she looked at him with confusion. "Does one among your group possess that power as well?"  
  
"No, but a friend I made a little while back was able to heal people like you can."  
  
"But why couldn't you do it beforehand, during the initial injury?" Piccolo wondered.  
  
"Perhaps my gift is slightly different than that of Gohan's friend," Sailor Saturn replied. "I...don't have the ability to use it limitlessly - using it after expending all of my strength in the palace ambush could very well have killed me."  
  
"Not that it stopped you from almost trying," Neptune smiled at her.  
  
"Oh, hush," she giggled back at her. "Your seed has given me back all the power that I lost in the ambush. Now I can easily heal the king."  
  
"Either way, if it expends that much energy, then you'll take the senzu instead, Sailor Saturn," Piccolo beckoned to Gohan to draw out one of the brown seeds. "No sense in leaving you too weak."  
  
"Thank you...er, uh...Mister Piccolo," she stuttered, and Gohan noticed that she spoke in similiar anxious tone each time she was addressing either one of them. Toward Sailor Neptune, however, she sounded almost completely different, confidence present in her voice. Could she really have been that awkward toward the new arrivals despite everything?  
  
"Mister?" Piccolo was slightly taken aback by the title, and Gohan chuckled a bit, realizing that Saturn must've overheard him calling Piccolo by the exact same name. Despite it, the Namek smirked it off, motioning the small Sailor Soldier toward the bed. "Just Piccolo will do, Sailor Saturn. Formalities weren't meant for me."  
  
"Okay...Piccolo," she shyly nodded toward him before stepping up to the bed. She passed off the huge glaive that she'd held in her hands to Sailor Neptune as she placed her hands on the unconscious monarch's exposed chest. Closing her eyes, her shoulder-length hair slowly lifted into the air, and Gohan could sense a unique form of pure energy beginning to radiate from her.  
  
Silently, the energy built up within Sailor Saturn until the king's wounded body began to glow with a brilliant orange shade, the healing power emitting from Saturn's outstreatched fingertips.  
  
"Is it working?" Gohan asked.  
  
Seconds later, the energy field calmed itself, and Saturn's stored energy dissipated, her body returning to normal. She let out a deep breath, stepping back from the bed.  
  
Before anymore words were spoken, King Endymion's freshly rejuvenated arm reached up from on the bed - the scars and bruises it once possessed were gone - and yanked the respirator from his face. He quickly sat up, taking long, deep gulps of air as his healed lungs readjusted to the natural oxygen in the room. His chest were free of all the abbrasions that had previously covered it a few moments ago, and for all intents and purposes, he was looking perfectly healthy.  
  
"King Endymion!"  
  
"He's alright!"  
  
The medics were ecstatic, as was Sailor Neptune and Sailor Saturn.  
  
"My king...you're..." Saturn suddenly dropped down, clutching at her chest and forcing out shallow breaths of air.  
  
Gohan was quick to drop down next to her, handing her the senzu with a smile on his face.  
  
"Good job, Hotaru!" he exclaimed. "You really must be strong inside to be able to heal all of those injuries. I think my friend Dende would be jealous after that."  
  
Saturn gratefully accepted the senzu, giving Gohan a slight blush - she obviously wasn't used to being complimented like that. After swallowing the seed, she was on her feet again, no worse for wear.  
  
"Off-hand," she replied to the young Saiyan hybrid as she caught her breath. "I'd rather have these seeds."  
  
"King Endymion," Piccolo's voice came next, overpowering the other joyous sounds in the medical room. The king seemed to finally reorient himself as he turned to face the towering warrior near the bed. "Perhaps you already know who we are?"  
  
Endymion cleared his throat, staring back at the Namek with equal resolve.  
  
"Indeed I do," he spoke in a noble voice. "It looks like Serenity's idea was worth the effort we took to fulfill it. Allow me to introduce myself formally - I am Endymion, one of the leaders of Crystal Tokyo. And you are...if I remember from the research files correctly...Piccolo?"  
  
Gohan glanced back at Piccolo for a response, his mind rolling with thoughts. They'd actually researched out their group so thoroughly before sending for them, even down to acquiring names? He began to wonder what any of them could've done to earn a place in the history books.  
  
"Yes, and this is my...student in the martial arts, Son Gohan," he nodded toward the boy, whom the king acknowledged. "A lot has happened since you went into that coma, Endymion."  
  
"Then let me get properly dressed and move to better accomodations before we begin. I have much that I want to discuss with all of you." 


	11. Plans And Adjustments

Chapter 11: Plans and Adjustments.  
  
The brilliant flashes of lightning that illuminated the sealed glass chamber beyond Damos were a satisfying sight to his eyes. That feeling was heightened by a pair of shrill, tortured cries coming from inside the circular area, specifically from the two soldiers attached to the black, cable-entangled pods in the middle. He had purposely ordered the construction of his 'disciplinary chambers' without the luxury of soundproof materials. Not only was it gratifying - sometimes deeply invigorating depending on his mood - to hear the screams of those who'd disappointed him in the line of duty, but it always sent a loud, clear message to any soldier passing within a few decks of the area. He did not tolerate sloppiness or failure.  
  
Though I hardly expected the good captain to be on the receiving end of the neuroshock treatment...  
  
Infernia had been hooked into the left pod, her arms and legs concealed by the black, tube-like restraints. A similarly colored mask- helmet was attached to her head, dark cables and electrodes running out of the top. She was gritting her gold fangs, struggling to resist the bombardment of energy directly onto her brain, but even her tenacity broke to the repeated doses of shocks and volts. Her screaming was as loud as any other who had been in the pod.  
  
Too bad, firefly... He thought of Infernia using his old pet name for her, shaking his head slightly. He didn't consider himself to be a being without personal affections, but even his feelings for her had to be set aside to accommodate the regulations within his fleet. Without strict law and order, a leader became weak and vulnerable from certain sides, and eventually the feeling of total control over his minions was deteriorated, perhaps destroyed. Damos had no intention of becoming such a flawed leader. The last respectable ruler he'd known that had exhibited such characteristics had been gradually turned into a subordinate of a foreign power. That ruler was eventually destroyed viciously by what he thought was a 'business partnership.' No, that was not what Damos would become. He reminded himself of that every time he felt compelled to show leniency on Infernia for what few mistakes she did make.  
  
However, Damos hadn't given a second thought to the other creature in the chamber as to whether or not he should've been disciplined. As powerful and bloodthirsty as Zebus was, he was hardly ever viable for any of the responsibilities that his duty required. The Trisgammans that had once dominated piracy in the outer reaches of the galaxy had been a disgusting, murderous race of thieves and liars. It had been deeply gratifying when Damos had been called on to help exterminate their repulsive hides from existence. In addition to eliminating competition to his trade, Damos had also acquired Zebus and his two Trisgamman counterparts - Goljor and Bargrey - from one of the last of the sinking Trisgamman warships. They'd been young then, easily manipulated and trained to serve in his army as powerful front-line warriors. The problems had arisen when they'd found out about their race's fate at Damos's hands, and despite their loyalty to him - they did owe him their lives, after all - they'd begun to evolve into renegades of sorts unless ordered by the general himself. Thus, it felt even more gratifying listening to Zebus's whining insect voice screech through the discipline session. It was almost enough to jar Damos out of the foul mood he'd been put into when the two had returned empty-handed and without one of his Horde members...  
  
"How much longer, sir?" The gaunt, bald soldier at the control panel next to Damos spoke over the sizzling current with a flat, unemotional voice.  
  
"Give it five minutes more at current energy levels, and bring them down. They're to remain on board and await further orders," he replied.  
  
"Five minutes more? Understood, sir," The same indifference showed in the soldier's voice again as he began adjusting the timers on the control panel.  
  
The general glanced down at the nearly-skeletal face of the soldier with satisfaction. Creatures of the race that Technician Gar-T'sed came from bore no attachment to any sentiment whatsoever, only reproducing to continue the existence of their power-hungry species. That was why many of his kind were stationed at the disciplinary chambers and at the lab stations aboard his private science vessel, the Demonic; they could easily keep anybody under near-lethal conditions for as long as they were ordered without feeling guilty or hesitant about it. Gar-T'sed had been as unwavering as before when the Earth queen had been put through a similar neuroshock session, even though that was more for Damos's own amusement.  
  
"When your work here is completed, Technician, report to Shuttle Bay Nine for transport back to the Demonic. I'll be in need of your assistance there among my new projects."  
  
"Understood, general," Gar-T'sed nodded once more before turning away from Damos and back to monitoring the two creatures inside the chamber. The general himself also turned and headed for the door. He'd seen enough of the disciplinary session to satisfy his tastes; besides, he had other pieces of business to take care of now that Captain Infernia had failed to overtake the Crystal Tokyo palace. He'd have to reorganize his strategy for overtaking the palace in an acceptable rate of time, and he was scheduled to deliver another report to Crix in ten minutes. The emissary to his employers was not going to be happy with the setback - Damos had promised them deliverance of the palace with the last transmission...  
  
The doors to the disciplinary chamber whooshed open as he passed the motion sensors, and as expected, Parvyx and Reddyx were both standing silently outside, watching over the entrance like a pair of mighty, black- armored statues. He admired the fierce loyalty and commitment of the two senior members of his Horde - they would indeed follow him to the depths of Hell and back without question, and they were powerful enough to survive the trip.  
  
"Our business is concluded here," Damos snapped the two warriors out of their stances, both of them standing at attention before their liege. "I need to make a few personal calls, so I will be returning to my quarters alone."  
  
"But sir," Parvyx's deep, rumbling voice resounded around them. "What about Tridyx? Will we not pursue and destroy his killers?"  
  
"Patience, Parvyx," Damos said. Even though a lot of his face-to-face encounters with lower soldiers resulted in a speak-when-spoken-to style of conversation, the Horde members were his elite; they were competent enough to offer useful opinions, and the verbal exchanges were more informal as a result. "We still need to analyze the information from the captain's scouter so we can get a better idea of who these new mystery warriors are. There is no sense in rushing into an attack blindly without understanding what we're up against. Tridyx did that to the Namek according to Infernia's initial report, and it got him killed."  
  
"Killed by Crystal Tokyo scum?" Reddyx's damaged vocal chords produced a silent ominous whisper. "Tridyx must've been weaker than we thought. He was not worthy to be among us in the Horde."  
  
"As brash and headstrong as Tridyx was, he was still one of us," Damos objected to his subordinate's remarks. "And he was worthy to wear the black armor of the Horde. Hence, whoever his killers are shall be met with great reciprocation when we track them down."  
  
"I will avenge him..." Parvyx rumbled again. Damos could understand his anger - Tridyx had been promoted to the Horde on advice from the gigantic sentinel, who'd trained him significantly in powerful ki techniques. "No Namek kills one of us and lives to see the light of another day..."  
  
"What's also worthy of further examination is that according to Infernia, there was no apparent alliance between these new warriors and the Crystal Tokyo Special Forces. And this is the first time I've heard of a Namek existing for the past few thousand years. Whomever these men are, they definitely were 'out of place,' according to the captain."  
  
"What do you suspect, general?" Reddyx spoke again, intrigued. "Could they be mercenaries like us? Or just some secret weapons that Serenity had in the wings for just such an emergency?"  
  
"I cannot make any judgments without first examining the scouter information," Damos said, pulling the gold-tinted machine out from the pocket cut out of his black, red-trimmed cloak. "Reddyx, take this to Analysis Deck Two and play back whatever lies in its memory banks. I want the data sent to my private chambers at once for my own review."  
  
"As you command, my lord," Reddyx reached out a warped, muscular arm, plucking the scouter from Damos's hand and striding down the brightly-lit hallway and out of sight.  
  
"My lord, grant me command of a battalion and let me exact my own revenge for my fallen comrade!" Parvyx growled, unable to resist his anger. Damos was quick to stifle the burly soldier, knowing that Parvyx's short temper could easily explode from the slightest incitement.  
  
"Calm yourself, Parvyx," he said with a less casual tone. "You have other matters to concern yourself with. Thanks to our captain's failure, we're going to try a different approach at the palace capture."  
  
"What do you have in mind, sir?" Parvyx asked.  
  
"We'll go with a standard siege approach until we come up with a better idea about who these new warriors are," Damos decided. "There's no sense in taking unnecessary risks. I want you to report to Main Communications and relay a priority-A order to the Star Cruiser Sabre. They're to arm and send ten battalions into the west sector of the city to reinforce the lines. I want no Crystal Tokyo trash to get outside the palace perimeter. Once the scouter information is analyzed, I will personally transmit further instructions to them."  
  
The order seemed to calm the giant, the idea of better serving his general suppressing his vengeful rage.  
  
"Of course, general," he nodded. "Smothering those insects seems more appropriate."  
  
"Indeed," Damos agreed, pleased with Parvyx's persistence. "Afterwards, I want you to report to Shuttle Bay Nine and wait for me there. When I arrive, we shall transport to the Demonic. I wish to examine my 'trophy collection.'"  
  
"The Demonic?" Parvyx's shoulders shifted, and Damos noticed the sudden nervousness sprouting in his eyes. "Do you intend to release--"  
  
"Not at the moment," Damos cut him off. "The standard army should suffice for capturing the palace. The rest of the fledgling civilization should collapse soon afterwards. I want to release my personal genetic squad onto the battlefield when a special occasion comes around. Such an easy conquest does not qualify as such."  
  
"As you order, my liege," he bowed his head toward Damos. "But when the time comes, may I have the pleasure of obliterating those low-lifes?"  
  
"The Namek's head is as good as yours, Parvyx," Damos acknowledged him. "Dismissed."  
  
Parvyx marched down the steel-lined corridor and out of sight, leaving Damos alone in the hall. He certainly hoped that the Namek who'd killed Tridyx was as powerful as Captain Infernia seemed to believe. He'd need all of the fighting spirit he could muster if Parvyx ever got his meaty fists around his neck. And Damos wouldn't stop his senior Horde soldier from exacting that revenge - Parvyx had served him well in the past years, and he was entitled to some personal wishes from time to time.  
  
As long as he doesn't make the same mistake Tridyx made...  
  
Damos put his musings on hold momentarily, striding down the hallway toward the elevator, the screams from the disciplinary chamber dying down. His boot steps echoed softly on the steel floor panels, the buzzing fluorescent ceiling lights gleaming off of his polished armor. At this hour, most off-duty soldiers were asleep or in the mess decks catching a late meal. Damos preferred the emptiness - without the bustle and clutter filling the halls of the Terror, he could go about his thoughts at a comfortable pace, planning his way throughout whatever task was laid before him. The view from the plexiglass windows lining the right side of the hall also provided a calming image. Beyond the protective barriers of his ship, Damos was able to stare out at the countless stars spanning the black void of space. He always took pride in the fact that hovering near quite a few of those stars were dead shells of planets that his forces had been paid to eradicate.  
  
The large blue sphere floating a good distance away from his flagship represented what would be their next victory, their next sum of money. As beautiful as Earth was, he'd seen much better during his long career as head of his army, though his orders for obtaining control of the planet had been unique, to say the least, much like his employers...  
  
Damos turned the bend that took him to the end of the hall. He stepped through the circular door embedded into the wall and onto the transport elevator.  
  
"Private wing, sector one," he said to the voice controls. The lift complied, sealing the doors and activating a set of internal lights as the propulsion system did its work. It took only a few minutes for the transportation lift to arrive at its location: the quarters for the senior crew members of the Terror, including the general's. Normal soldiers were lucky to even see this section of Damos's flagship.  
  
He stepped onto the plush carpeting lining the well-heated corridor, hasty in his steps to return to his private chambers and the isolated communications station within it. He couldn't help but notice that his pulse was racing and his muscles were becoming tense. The upcoming communication with Crix would be even more agonizing than usual, especially since he'd practically promised victory to him with the last transmission.  
  
A minor setback... Damos reminded himself as a touch on a wall-switch opened the ornate door in front of him. That's all. The palace will fall soon enough, and the queen's seven new heroes along with it.  
  
The thought of his forces being ambushed so unexpectedly still frustrated him despite his optimism. Any of his battalions being caught unawares and getting so easily driven away, especially his top warriors, was considered a monumental embarrassment in his mind. It was just so, so...unprofessional. And his army was anything but that.  
  
Glancing around the spacious, well-furnished living room revealed his quarters to be empty and quiet except for the slight buzzing of the lighting fixtures mounted on the polished walls. It wouldn't be so mercifully peaceful for long - Infernia would be returning anytime now, and she wouldn't be in a pleasant mood.  
  
Ah, the consequences of being the commander. He remarked to himself as he stepped past his trophy cases and into his own personal office. Infernia would be rightfully enraged, that was for sure, but she would certainly relent once he calmed her down a bit; it wouldn't be the first time he'd have to cool off her fiery blood.  
  
He glanced over at the bulky, cube-shaped transmitter station installed in the far corner of the room, doubting that the same tactic would work against Crix. His cold ruthlessness wasn't vulnerable to any type of emotion, as his last transmission had indicated.  
  
A flick of a few switches and the unit thrummed to life. After inputting the necessary access codes and securing the headset, Damos quickly established the link, eager to get the confrontation overwith  
  
There was silence at first after the connection was made, irritating the general a bit further. But finally, Crix's voice resounded through the headset.  
  
"This is Crix. What news do you bring us, general? You assured us an update of victory during our last transmission."  
  
"We've...encountered some minor setbacks," he replied in a cool, even tone. "The reinforcements on the planet were more tenacious than we previously calculated, and we had to postpone our final attack."  
  
"How unfortunate..." Crix's voice didn't reveal any immediate anger, but Damos could tell that he was more than disappointed. "It seems that perhaps we overestimated the efficiency of your army, general...when we made our agreement, you assured us that there would be no mistakes, no overlooking a single detail. And here you are, returning in defeat over such a minor issue of insufficient reconnaissance."  
  
Damos fought to contain his anger as Crix spoke, but he maintained his composure, aware that retorting the insult could prove to be fatal to their contract.  
  
"It was an unavoidable circumstance, Crix, a variable that exists in any type of planetary warfare. Surely, no army can control every element during a global campaign with such enemy resistance; the laws of war simply don't allow it. The capture of their capital will take place soon, I can assure you. This was a fluke and nothing more."  
  
"You tread in dangerous waters with your excuses, general," Crix was unmoved, as Damos expected. "Do not patronize me about the laws of war. Just secure their capital stronghold soon. Our preparations shall be complete soon, and our master would not be merciful if you did not live up to your end of the deal. Be aware of that, Damos, as you plan the rest of your campaign. Crix, out."  
  
"Wait!!" Too late, the transmission was cut, and Damos was left eating static from the headset. In frustration, he slammed the unit down on the console, repressing an urge to scream. He could almost see Crix beginning to make deductions off of their final payment because of the failed assault, and that thought nearly made him lose his cool completely. "Just you wait...I'll show you how powerful we are..."  
  
A sudden bleeping interrupted his venting, and it only took Damos a few seconds to realize that it was coming from his scouter. Somebody was transmitting a message to him.  
  
Clearing his throat, he clicked the button on the side on his scouter, opening the link.  
  
"This is General Damos."  
  
"My lord," The raspy, whispering voice of Reddyx replied through the scouter's miniature speaker. "The captain's scouter information has been analyzed and sent through to the data-receiver in your quarters. I think you'll find Captain Infernia'a recordings to be...interesting, to say the least."  
  
There was a tone of mirth in Reddyx's voice, which the general found a little peculiar.  
  
"Very well, Reddyx, thank you," he replied. "Report to Shuttle Bay Nine and prepare yourself and Parvyx for transport to the Demonic. I will join you shortly."  
  
"As you command, my lord. Reddyx out."  
  
Damos stood from the communications array and settled down in the plush chair behind his desk. With the activities and decision-making in the early days of the mission, he hadn't been able to take any time to monitor a different kind of trophy collection that he kept aboard the Terror's private research vessel. He was most eager to see how his scientists were progressing in their experiments, especially if he felt the desire to unleash a few of them onto the infestation down on Earth. And considering his angered state at the moment, the desire was almost overwhelming.  
  
I wonder how they would fare against the queen's seven surprises...let's find out just who fouled up Infernia's capture operation...  
  
He activated a small switch underneath his desk, causing a video screen to roll up in front of him. His private files were stored there along with the data that Reddyx had just transmitted to him.  
  
"Access new files," Damos commanded. The voice recognition circuitry on the computer obliged him, displaying a single file, listed as 'Captain Infernia, Battalion Beta Two-Five.'  
  
"Display file number one," he said to the computer as he leaned back in his chair. The file name on the blue screen disappeared, replaced by seven miniaturized photo-stills taken by Infernia's scouter. It appeared that she'd been able to capture each one of the mystery warriors on her scouter. The list went in no particular order, though he recognized the Namek warrior, the one who'd killed Tridyx.  
  
"Enlarge photo number one," Damos said one more time. Perhaps he could learn a bit more about the origins of these outsiders from the stills. The computer readily complied, magnifying the first of the photo- stills.  
  
The next thing he knew, Damos was picking himself up on the floor, his chair lying sideways next to him. He lifted himself up to his desk as he recovered from his surprise, examining the figure in the first photo- still, wondering if he'd been imagining things the first time he'd taken a close look at him.  
  
He wasn't.  
  
* * *  
  
"Incompetent slobs." Vegeta strolled down the empty hallway, the dim lights on the walls guiding him further into the wing. According to the servants of the royalty suites, what he was looking for was only several hundred meters ahead.  
  
He'd been pleased with the accommodations that they received courtesy of the ex-Silver Millennium royalty, though the idea of sharing a room with the Earth woman's boyfriend and the idiotic Krillin had dampened his enthusiasm significantly. He'd frowned heavily as he'd watched them explore the room in their own childish manner, moving around expensive-looking furniture to suit their liking and bounding onto the heavy mattresses like overgrown babies.  
  
"Such luxury isn't even within their mental reach," he mused, still remembering the almost giddy look on Krillin's face as he'd taken in their new surroundings. Rooms like that were fit for someone like Vegeta, one who deserved the privileges that royalty had to offer. When it'd become obvious that the two were turning in for the evening, he'd quickly decided to slip out and attend to his own devices. Listening to the two of them snoring was an even more revolting thought.  
  
Besides, he had other plans to fulfill; in order to further his own causes of getting rid of the alien attackers, he needed some information about their new acquisitions: battle abilities, personality flaws, grace in a pressure situation.he needed tidbits like that to paint a better portrait of how much easier the Sailor Soldiers could make this fight for him. The more one knew about their allies, the easier they were to read and - if need be - manipulate and coerce.  
  
Arriving at the end of the hallway, Vegeta glanced up at a large inscription above a pair of glass double doors.  
  
"Just the place I was looking for," Vegeta smiled to himself as he read the inscribed lettering. "Historical archives."  
  
He pushed open the glass doors and stepped into a quiet, high- ceilinged hall that was stocked wall-to-wall with bookshelves on two extravagantly-designed stories. The second level contained much of the literature, while the ground floor was littered with stainless steel desks that were supporting cube-shaped monitors.  
  
The perfect place to learn about my new 'allies.' He thought to himself as he glanced around at the few faces wandering around the vast room.  
  
He walked over to a large rectangular desk that was protruding out of the wall in the near corner. A young woman behind the counter was diligently working on filing several volumes, not even noticing Vegeta until he raised his voice.  
  
"I'm looking for information regarding the Sailor Soldiers," he gruffly said, causing the librarian to glance up in surprise. She had to be no more than thirty in human years, and her wire-framed glasses gave her a look of intelligence.  
  
"Manuscripts or computer files?" she briskly responded, though she looked a bit taken aback by the request as far as Vegeta could tell. He supposed that not knowing about the Sailor Soldiers in this time period was like not knowing your own name. That was the reputation that heroes got, after all.  
  
"Whatever's quicker," he said, pulling lightly on his black spandex uniform. Not wanting to be attacked by any unwitting soldiers, he'd wisely decided to remove his body armor temporarily to prevent any potential alliance confusions. It was an uncomfortable feeling for him though - without the solid weight of the armor on him, Vegeta felt nearly naked.  
  
"I'll energize the E-module over there for you, sir," After a quick movement of her hands behind the counter, the cubic monitor closest to the desk began to glow a small shade of florescent blue, the internal circuits beginning to hum lowly. "Let me know when you're...finished?"  
  
Vegeta had already begun moving toward the pod, tuning out the driveling woman. He seated himself in front of the glowing cube, the screen displaying a basic search query.  
  
"A keyboard?" Vegeta glanced down at the silvery instrument in front of him, chuckling out loud. It was certainly a wonder as to how these primitive Crystal Tokyo humans had even lasted this long in the invasion with such outdated junk. Perhaps their affinity to magic and spell-casting had given them an aversion to technological thinking.  
  
Cracking his knuckles, he typed in his search information, asking for basic background information on the Sailor Soldiers.  
  
He arched an eyebrow as the machine returned over four hundred articles in general information alone. Glancing over some of the titles - some of which were entries by civilians, which guaranteed almost nothing in terms of credibility - Vegeta entered a more specific request, asking for historical milestones in the existence of the Sailor Soldiers.  
  
"Ah, much better," he grinned with satisfaction as the returns flashed onto the hazy blue screen. The number of entries was still significant - two hundred and sixteen - but many of the file descriptions were labeled as "CTPAA - Crystal Tokyo Palace Archival Accounts," and that was worth more to him. If they were official records, then he had a better chance of avoiding biases than he did if he'd accessed the civilian entries.  
  
"Now let's see what kind of escapades our little girl scouts have managed to live through in the past," he muttered to himself. He had to admit that he was genuinely curious as to how all of them had survived the destruction of their old kingdom on Earth's moon; he also would've loved to know how in the world those blue-blooded weaklings had managed to take control of Earth after the occurrence of whatever cataclysm that Serenity's message had mentioned.  
  
He accessed the first entry, and a wave of text flooded onto the screen. According to the account, the text ran on for nearly thirty pages. Smiling, Vegeta lifted his boots up onto the desk, leaning back in the chair.  
  
"I've got nothing else better to do," he muttered aloud to nobody in particular. "I might as well get acquainted with our friends."  
  
Breathing in deeply, he relaxed his eyes and started to read.  
  
* * *  
  
"Haruka."  
  
A hazy voice rattled her slumber, snapping her out of a blissful sleep. Haruka leaned over toward Michiru, ready to whine about being roused from her enticing dreams. Strangely, she was still asleep, her head leaning against her shoulder with a smile on her face.  
  
"I must be hearing things..." she muttered to herself, kissing Michiru's forehead. "Keep smiling, beloved."  
  
"Haruka!" The voice was clear this time, gruff and deep. She quickly glanced around the bedroom, attempting to identify the voice's source.and saw Piccolo on the other side of the room, leaning casually against the wall next to the open balcony.  
  
"What the...?!?!" She sat up awkwardly, disoriented and groggy but also furious at the warrior's intrusion. "What are you doing in here?! Don't you have any idea where you are??"  
  
Piccolo showed no apparent reaction to her surprise, though as Haruka calmed down slightly, she felt Michiru stir next to her. She instinctively latched hold of Haruka's arm, her dreams still remaining undisturbed.  
  
"She must've been more exhausted than she looked if she slept through that," Piccolo remarked. "But in any event, I'm not here for a pleasure call. The king and I have continued discussing the current combat situation after all of you turned in a little while ago. I wanted to inform you that he wants to speak with all of us tomorrow afternoon about the current situation."  
  
"Speak with all of us...?" Haruka rubbed her tired eyes, trying to remember what happened the night before. After leading Vegeta to the royalty suites and letting the palace servants escort him from there, she'd been contacted by Michiru, who told her and the princess to hurry to the medical wing to speak with the rejuvenated King Endymion. Her relief at his good health was monumental, and upon arriving at the king's treatment room, she'd been even happier to find him back in his own regal attire, no worse for wear than before the palace had been ambushed. ChibiUsa had been more elated than any of them, dashing up to her father and latching onto him as if he were a magnet. And just like that, many of the more immediate concerns were displaced from her thoughts.  
  
However, letting go of those worries had allowed her mind to slow down from all of the events from the previous day, and even Endymion himself had almost immediately remarked at the noticeable fatigue showing on her and the other Sailor Soldiers. Before she could protest the judgment and begin discussing the night's events, the king had ordered all of the Sailor Soldiers - including his daughter - to get at least ten hours of sleep before continuing further with the war planning. She'd been too exhausted to argue with her liege, and the four Sailor Soldiers had all departed from the medical wing for their rooms. Whatever happened from that point onward, Haruka's weary mind was too exhausted to remember.  
  
She lifted up the covers, slipping onto the turquoise carpeting and walking up to the green warrior, attempting to look focused in front of him. "Well, if my liege sent you to inform us at this hour, what is so important that he wishes to discuss?"  
  
"I'd rather not say here," Piccolo stood away from the wall, stepping out onto the balcony. "For your king's sake and for your own sanity's sake, I don't want the details to cause you further unrest. But suffice to say, things will be heading in the right direction when tomorrow afternoon comes."  
  
"Hold on a second!" The cryptic answer wouldn't do for something that Endymion had ordered. Besides, she hadn't been scared out of a peaceful sleep by an alien to listen to riddles. "Why can't you tell me here?"  
  
"The king is busy helping Captain Benson brief the soldiers about the situation and our arrival," he replied as he approached the edge of the marble balcony. "While everyone is asleep, I'm keeping an eye out for the enemy in case they attempt a follow-up attack. Nothing will disturb your sleep tonight, so make sure you enjoy it."  
  
"You're running.patrol.?" Haruka wasn't certain if her fatigue was making her hear things. Was the same stoic killer who'd so mercilessly destroyed Tridyx now pulling an all-nighter for the sake of easier sleep for the rest of them? "I.I mean."  
  
Piccolo chuckled softly, another breeze fluttering the white cape covering his back.  
  
"Surprised? Well don't be," he responded to her. "This planet isn't just yours, Haruka. All of those fighters, despite their quirks, have a stake in this war. They chose to come here and fight. Remember that when we speak to Endymion tomorrow and if you voice any.concerns, about us."  
  
Haruka arched an eyebrow, impressed with the warrior's perceptive abilities. She couldn't help but feel surprised at his awareness, though she tried to hide it in her voice.  
  
"All of you." she said, stepping further out on the balcony. "And what about Vegeta? Is he on the same page and following the same plan as all of you? This isn't even his planet."  
  
Piccolo turned his head slightly, silent for a moment.  
  
"Autumn's beginning to set in," he nonchalantly said as he glanced back at her. "The wind is getting cooler. I would put on something a bit heavier if I were you."  
  
The comment caused her to instinctively cover her body, fearful that her previous exhaustion hadn't allowed her to dress properly for bed. When she realized that nothing was exposed, she glared with irritation at Piccolo. If there was anything that she detested most, it was lechery toward her in any form from a stranger, even if it was casual.  
  
"Why you.how dare you look at me like that.!"  
  
Piccolo lifted himself into the air effortlessly, throwing one more glance back at Haruka.  
  
"Just relax for now. Sleep well," he said. "But sleep light."  
  
He flew off to the west, toward the main gates of the palace. Before Haruka could ask him anything else, Piccolo was out of sight. She sighed inwardly, her anger slipping away as another heavy wind causing her to shiver. She stepped back into the room, stumbling toward the bed. These warriors were proving to be something else, a bit more unpredictable than she had imagined. While Piccolo's instincts and intuition could've been useful in a fight, she certainly wasn't eager for too many early morning wake-up calls during their time in the palace.  
  
Haruka dropped back onto her bed and pulled the covers over her chilly body, her mind deep in thought.  
  
"Friendly with the new neighbors, aren't you?" Michiru's voice caught her off-guard, and Haruka glanced over to see her beloved's eyes open slightly, a mischievous smile across her face. "Though the look on your face when he commented on your evening wear was priceless ."  
  
Insult to injury, just perfect. Michiru would never let her live this down.  
  
"I'll give you something priceless, you little." she half-joked with her as Michiru latched onto her arm. "Just remind me to do one thing before tomorrow is over."  
  
"What's that?" She leaned over to her, flashing Haruka a loving smile.  
  
"Have me talk to maintenance and see what we can do about putting a door in here for that balcony...just in case."  
  
* * *  
  
".and that's why I think that the others may still be alive," Sailor Pluto was saying as Sailor Jupiter continued to pace back and forth along the snake path, growing increasingly frustrated with the sluggish progress of the line. "The energy that I felt before blacking out was unlike anything I'd ever felt."  
  
"That's terrific to know." Sailor Venus absently said; her thoughts were obviously abuzz. Jupiter could tell, just as she was, that all of them were focusing their musings on the Z Warriors, Sailor Pluto's new mystery group of outsiders that the queen had summoned into the war. The past few hours had been tense within the small group as the time soldier had laid out everything that had transpired in the past day, from the probe launching to her visit to Earth's guardian in the Old Era and finally, to her eventual death on the battlefield at the hands of Tridyx.  
  
Jupiter had been relieved to hear of the survival of their remaining teammates, though she hadn't liked everything that she'd heard. The queen had kept all of them out of the loop with the Z Warrior plan, and that thought mixed with her instincts disliking the entire idea of placing their trust solely into a group of unknowns. Jupiter could understand to a point why Sailor Uranus had snapped off at Sailor Pluto.  
  
The time soldier appeared to notice their discomfort in her comrades, her eyes swimming with apology.  
  
"My friends." she continued, picking her words carefully. "I understand any resentment that you must feel towards me right now. I realize that the queen and I should not have excluded your opinions from this plan no matter how much of a life-saver it could've been. Desperation impaired our thoughts at the time.and while that is no excuse."  
  
She struggled for what to say next, and Jupiter spotted Mercury standing up, a more compassionate smile on her face.  
  
"Look, I think I speak for all of us when I say that being kept out of a rescue plan wasn't exactly a confidence booster, but I also think that I speak for all of us when I say that you were only doing what was necessary to protect the Earth. And getting our spirits up on what could've bean a false hope wouldn't have made our deaths any better. I mean, how long have we been teammates, Setsuna? You were only doing what you needed to."  
  
Venus soon responded in like kind, standing and placing a hand on Sailor Pluto's shoulder.  
  
"She's right, don't beat yourself up, Setsuna, it's not like you," she concurred. "It doesn't matter who knew the plan or not. All of us would've died either way, and the important thing is that the others are safe thanks to your warriors if we follow your theory. Perhaps the remainder of our world has a chance of surviving after all."  
  
Sailor Pluto looked slightly relieved, a large weight lifted from her shoulders.  
  
"Thank you." she gratefully said. "Somehow, I knew that you would understand what Sailor Uranus could not."  
  
"I hate to be the skeptic of this group." Jupiter still couldn't quiet her fighting instincts even with Mercury and Venus's acceptance of Sailor Pluto's plan. "But we can't be too certain that the unknown energy source was one of the Z Warriors. It could've been another one of the alien commanders, or something else! There's been too much going on these past few days to be sure; I think we may be getting into wishful thinking, you guys."  
  
"Jupiter." Venus looked slightly crestfallen, causing Jupiter's voice to nearly get defensive.  
  
"Look, all I'm saying is that there's no way we can be positive that they even attempted to locate the palace," she continued. "Sailor Pluto, you could've mistaken their power signatures for another squad of alien soldiers for all you know. I mean, if their techniques are as similar to the aliens' as you say they are--"  
  
"Wait, Sailor Jupiter," Sailor Mars spoke this time, cutting her skepticism off. She'd been relatively silent for several minutes, and from the concentration on her face, Jupiter could tell that she'd been pondering something. "I think Sailor Pluto is right. I remember it now.Jupiter, before you rushed into my room at the palace and helped me out of that mental energy surge, I felt something approaching from a great distance.a power of some kind, not the alien commanders, but something more vague. It was masked by incredible amounts of distortion, like it didn't even exist in our own plane. As if--"  
  
"As if they were in a time-warp," Mercury finished, trying to fit together a feasible chronology in her head. "Sailor Pluto, could it be possible?"  
  
"It would make sense." Sailor Pluto scratched her chin, thinking. "The time crystal I left Kami was an emergency fail-safe in case I couldn't escort them into the future myself. And while the crystals can easily teleport matter through time, they are not quite sophisticated enough to guarantee delivery to a specific location. It is entirely possible that the Z Warriors were teleported to a far-off area of our world and could not reach the palace in time to stop us from being killed by the aliens."  
  
"How about it, Sailor Jupiter, do you doubt my mental powers?" Mars chuckled at her, knowing what the thunder soldier's answer would be. Her fire-readings had not failed them before, and Sailor Jupiter doubted that they would now.  
  
"Sorry for being the doubter." she said sheepishly. "But I'd rather not take chances with this situation.I wanted to make sure that it was at least possible. And I'd feel a bit better knowing that the others are in capable hands."  
  
"You're right, a little reassurance can't hurt," Sailor Venus said. "But do you know any of these warriors, Pluto? How much did the Earth Guardian tell you about them?"  
  
"Not much that can be useful to us," Pluto continued. "Kami only told me briefly about two of the warriors. Before he could progress further, I sensed the powers of the aliens approaching the palace, and I had to rush back there as fast as I could. One of the fighter's is actually a counterpart to Kami, fused with his very soul. Injuries incurred to one half affect the other as well."  
  
Jupiter's eyes widened at that one. "A soul fusion?"  
  
"It's a long and complicated story," Sailor Pluto shook her head. "But needless to say, Kami had told me that Piccolo - that's the name of his other half - is more proficient and effective than any others in the group. His rigorous training methods have molded him into an unnaturally powerful being."  
  
"Sounds like a pretty intense guy," Mars concurred. "Though he doesn't seem very adept at diplomacy from what you say. And you know Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune when it comes to strangers like that."  
  
"If the Z Warriors are indeed able to defeat those monsters and save their lives," Pluto mused. "Then I'm certain that at least one of them would be willing to trust them to an extent."  
  
"Nothing personal," Sailor Jupiter said, remembering from her own experience just how paranoid and defensive Sailor Uranus could be. "But knowing Haruka, who knows what kind of sparks could be flying back there between her and those Z Warriors."  
  
"Anyway, Sailor Pluto," Mercury continued, sitting back down on the stone path. The line was still motionless, and the huge numbers of passing souls that were piling up behind them gave every indication that it would be this way for quite some time. "Who was the second fighter that Kami mentioned to you?"  
  
"Ah, yes, Kami seemed more enraptured in him than Piccolo," Pluto nodded. "His name was Son Gohan, a very strong young boy that was well- skilled in the martial arts, trained by Piccolo himself."  
  
"A boy?" Venus's eyes lit up. "Are we talking a teenager, bodybuilder, martial arts champion? Come on, Setsuna, elaborate! We need details here!"  
  
Sailor Pluto laughed lightly. "Relax, Minako, I don't think you'd be interested. He's barely reaching ten years old and I don't think he'd look at you the same way."  
  
The others snickered slightly at Venus's sudden embarrassment.  
  
"Geez, we've just been kicked around, brutally killed, and stranded here in this traffic jam of a judgment line, and you're still thinking about boys, Venus," Jupiter slapped her on the shoulder as the blonde adamantly tried to regain her composure. "Some things never change."  
  
"And what would you have said if I'd been right, huh?" Venus grumbled at Jupiter. "You'd have been begging for information, too!"  
  
"Calm down, Minako," Pluto gently said as she cleared her throat. "But as for Son Gohan, Kami had suspected the traces of great power lying dormant within the young boy, something even he couldn't quite grasp completely. And he had a pure heart, much like the rest of his comrades."  
  
"In other words, someone we want for our team," Jupiter nodded, pleased. She found herself growing more comfortable to the idea of the Z Warriors.  
  
"As for the rest, I just have names: Krillin, Tenshinhan, Chaozu, and Yamcha, all of them well-experienced in the fighting arts that the aliens currently employ."  
  
"Wish that we could find out who our new allies would've been." Mars sighed, resting her arms against her legs. "But there's no going back this time.wherever fate places us is going to be for the rest of eternity."  
  
"The eyes of the spirit realm stretch far, Sailor Mars," Sailor Pluto replied to her. "Once our judgments are given, I'm certain we can find out what's been going on back on Earth if we ask the right people."  
  
"True." Mercury was suddenly distracted by something traveling alongside the road - a white-collar shirted blue figure on a yellow puff of a cloud, a megaphone against his mouth. He had an extremely agitated look on his round face and was yelling something repeatedly at the bustling line, the echo of the megaphone blurring the message just enough so they couldn't hear it completely.  
  
"What's going on?" Sailor Mars glanced over the edge of the road, nearly stabbing herself on the jagged stone scales. The blue man wore thin wire-framed glasses and looked to be about middle-age if measured in human years. He was yelling at several larger figures several feet ahead of them. Jupiter realized that she must've been more out of it than she thought - it looked like a minor scuffle was occurring several yards ahead of them. She sighed inwardly as she spotted a few fists flying between two unknown aliens; a little combat could've done her aching spirit some good at this point. As it was, her patience for the judgment proceedings coupled with her anxiety with the situation back home was beginning to grate on her nerves. It would've been sheer insanity for Sailor Jupiter if her partners hadn't been there to give her some company.  
  
"Break it up! Yeah, the two of you, knock it off!! Anything you say and do here can stand against you in the court of judgment! Now cut out the racket!!"  
  
Two or three gruff, heavy voices shouted back at the small man, harshly berating him in some foreign dialect.  
  
"Hey, you watch your language!! Or else you'll have to answer to Lord Enma!! Now knock it off!" After the mention of the judgment seat's overlord, the voices died off, reduced to low mumbling instead.  
  
"Now's our chance to get some answers." Jupiter pushed past Mars, nearly accidentally shoving the fire soldier off the edge of the road. "Hey! You over there, with the tie!!"  
  
The cloud-rider was caught off-guard, glancing behind him and spotting the group of Sailor Soldiers. "What do you want? I'm quite busy here, as you can see."  
  
"We just want to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind," Jupiter tried her best to sound polite despite her waning patience. "We're kinda new around here, and I was wondering why--"  
  
"Oh, come now, I've got no time to answer those kinds of question," His shoulders sagged, shaking his head. "Everyday, it's the same pitiful questions: 'Oh, why did this have to happen to me of all people,' or 'Can you put in a good word for me at the judgment seat?' Uhh, I'm sick of being bothered by all of these freshly dead!! Now if you'll excuse me, lady, I've got some work to do."  
  
The snooty little man tucked the megaphone under his arm and turned his cloud around, speeding quickly back to wherever he came from. Jupiter stood there, stunned.  
  
"What a jerk!" Mars shouted indignantly as Jupiter balled up her fists. Red haze seeped into her vision as she stared after the little blue white-shirt. "You'd think that he'd have at least a little sympathy for all of--"  
  
"Sympathy?" Crackling electrical energy seeped out of Jupiter's body as she stared hatefully after the obnoxious little man, her patience finally at its limits. She'd seen something in the man's face that had sparked a deep-rooted hatred within her. In the man's snide remarks, she'd seen the sarcastic, merciless snigger of Tridyx, a gesture she'd grown to despise more than anything else that she'd ever seen before. She just had an urge to tear the man to shreds, even though he wasn't anywhere close to the cruelty of the alien soldier. "He's the one who's going to need sympathy after I finish with him!"  
  
"Umm, Jupiter." Venus quickly tried to calm her friend down, stepping in front of her and holding up her hands. "I don't think you want to do this, especially with our fates being--"  
  
"Forget fate!" She shouted, bounding into the air. "I don't think anything I can do now can change a couple hundred years worth of deeds! I want some answers and I'm going to get them!!"  
  
"Jupiter, no, wait, don't!!!" Venus's pleas came too late, and Jupiter sped through the air along the side of the road. She spotted the megaphone-totting squirt several meters away. She kicked in some extra speed, soaring directly up to the cloud and snagging the blue man by the collar of his pressed shirt. He never saw it coming.  
  
"H-hey.!!" He strained his voice as Jupiter tightened her hold around him. "What do you think you're doing?!"  
  
"Shut up!!" Sailor Jupiter was through playing nice to him. "I've been waiting back in that overcrowded line for HOURS now!! You're going to tell me why in the hell I have to put up with waiting so long to get one measly judgment after I've just been blown to pieces by some tree trunk of an alien bastard!"  
  
The tirade and the voltage coursing over Jupiter's body seemed to intimidate the tiny blue man just enough. His angered gaze had melted into anxious fear, still struggling to breathe under Sailor Jupiter's tight grip. As she waited for a response, Jupiter saw that she was attracting the attention from some of the more brutish aliens lining the roadway; they screamed out in their own languages, some of them laughing hysterically at the sight. They seemed more than eager to watch the scrawny official get his tail whipped.  
  
"Err, uhh, umm.you see." he nervously whimpered. "It's like this, ah."  
  
"Well?!" Jupiter squeezed harder, choking the man even more.  
  
"We're, ah, slightly understaffed today," he finally croaked out. "Some of our processors called out sick.please don't hurt me, I'm just doing my job!!"  
  
Sailor Jupiter felt movement on her left; she glanced over and spotted Sailor Venus and Sailor Pluto hovering next to her.  
  
"That's enough, Makoto; you're going to get us into trouble!" Venus placed a hand on Jupiter's shoulder. "Unless you want to get sent to the lower levels of hell."  
  
"Venus is right, Jupiter, you've got to let this go," Pluto replied.  
  
"My.sentiments.exactly." The strangling little man squeaked out.  
  
"This does us no good anymore, Makoto," Venus said with a pleading tone. "Let it go.it's over."  
  
Sailor Jupiter didn't respond at first, though as some of the adrenaline and rage wore away, she knew that Sailor Venus and Sailor Pluto had read into her anger, knew how badly she'd wanted to get her revenge on Tridyx and the alien soldiers that had laughed and spat at them as they died.  
  
Reluctantly, she released her grip, pushing the little officer back on his cloud. He dropped to one knee, gasping for air and loosening his shirt collar. Jupiter floated closer to him, deliberately trying to intimidate him with her size.  
  
"Let that be a lesson to you," she calmly said as she glowered at him. "And if Lord Enma catches wind of this little incident, I'll personally track you down , take that clunky megaphone out of your grubby little hands, and--"  
  
"Jupiter!!" Sailor Pluto shouted, causing Jupiter to instinctively back down. She smirked at the shuddering figure before her before floating back with her comrades to their place in line.  
  
"You certainly have a way with people," Venus nudged her on the way back, smiling at her.  
  
Suddenly, a small stone came shooting past her head, missing her forehead by centimeters. Glancing to the right onto the road, Sailor Jupiter spotted a large group of alien juveniles jeering at them from their seated positions on the path. Disturbingly, she also spotted a few humans among the aliens, all of them eyeing the three of them up in an unwelcome way.  
  
"Hey, nice moves, back there, sweetheart!" One of the humans - a dirty-looking teen in dark, tattered clothes - jeered up at her. "Are your friends that tough, too? All of us love our women like that!"  
  
The aliens and other humans nodded and joked in similar fashion, prompting Jupiter's anger to return. She glanced over at Sailor Venus, saw the look of disgust on her face, and both of them looked back toward Sailor Pluto.  
  
"May we, Sailor Pluto?" she asked politely, releasing what Setsuna's answer would be. As tranquil as she was, she despised uninvited comments as much as any of them did. "Please?"  
  
"Just one tiny little show of force, pleeease?" Venus's eyes lit up.  
  
Sailor Pluto chuckled softly. "I suppose children will always be children, but very well. Just this once."  
  
As Sailor Pluto floated back to where Mercury and Mars were still waiting, the other two Sailor Soldiers concentrated their power, Sailor Jupiter more grateful than ever that death hadn't stolen their abilities from them. The group suddenly looked anxious as Jupiter and Venus charged up as much energy as they could muster.  
  
"Hear that, Sailor Jupiter?" Venus smirked at her teammate. "Those guys are looking for some action, don't you feel honored?"  
  
"So, you guys want some action?" Jupiter coyly laughed. "Then allow us to accommodate you! Jupiter Supreme Thunder!!"  
  
A large wave of thunderbolts soared from Jupiter's body, thoroughly electrocuting the small group on the snaking road. The massive amounts of electricity caused Jupiter to cover her eyes slightly. She hadn't expected the attack to light up the road that much.  
  
"Venus Crescent Beam Shower!!" Venus shouted as gold energy formed at her fingertips. A second later, a hail of golden beams sailed into the flowing current of electricity, causing a spectacular explosion that enveloped the entire road around them.  
  
As the billowing smoke cleared, Jupiter and Venus found themselves glancing down at about fifty yards worth of dead souls covered with burn wounds and smoke pouring off of their clothes. All of them focused their attention on the two attackers in the sky, rage seeping steadily into their eyes as they began hurling loose stones and other objects at the Sailor Soldiers.  
  
"Heh, I guess we overdid it a tad," Venus ducked as another rock sailed past her. "Sorry, everyone, you understand, right?"  
  
"Let's get outta here!" Jupiter yelled as she yanked on Venus's arm speeding back toward the others. It wasn't like the injuries would last - everyone in the blast radius was already dead, after all - but given their miniature riot, Jupiter imagined that it still hurt a whole lot.  
  
As they dropped down next to the other Sailor Soldiers, Jupiter spotted a whole squad of cloud-riders - these particular ones dressed in full body armor and looking significantly larger and tougher than the snooty little pencil-pusher - flying toward them, all of the riders looking extremely annoyed at the trouble that Jupiter and Venus had caused. It looked like the official hadn't taken Jupiter's warning seriously.  
  
Pluto shook her head as the riders approached. "Looks like we're going to be escorted the rest of the way."  
  
Jupiter panted and wheezed from her quick flight away from the riot, looking up at Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars, both of whom were shaking their heads, incredulous at the commotion that Jupiter especially had caused.  
  
"Hey, look on the bright side," she gasped. "At least we got back at those guys, right? Right??"  
  
Pluto crossed her arms, slightly exasperated, but slightly amused at the same time.  
  
"I just can't take you children out anywhere, can I?"  
  
* * *  
  
Gohan stumbled down the hallway, still trying to wake himself up. Gold rays from the late morning sun were beaming through the glass windows lining the palace hall. The others were still sound asleep in the plush royalty suites, and none of them were looking to get up any time soon. All of them - barring Vegeta - had been blown away after being shown into the extravagant rooms; even Gohan had been amazed that any one room could look so ornate and perfect. Krillin had remarked that none of them had done enough to warrant accommodations fit for a king, but Yamcha had quickly reminded all of them that they had the chance to enjoy themselves for a bit and that they should readily take it.  
  
Although for the cushy beds and the mirrored ceilings, you'd think that they'd have a bathroom nearby.  
  
He'd been wandering the halls of the palace for over fifteen minutes looking for a restroom, still uneasy about venturing into unknown wings despite the directions he was given earlier by a passing soldier.  
  
Now was it two lefts and straight ahead.or two rights and to the left.  
  
He was still too sleepy to remember what the trooper had told him, but his bladder didn't seem to care. He sped up his steps down the elaborate hall, looking for any sign of a bathroom.  
  
He passed three more doors, finally ending at a larger one at the hall's end, covered with bronze ornamental designs.  
  
Two lefts.and straight to the end! I remember now! He mind clicked, positive at the soldier's words. He reached for the knob, relief sweeping over him.  
  
* * *  
  
Morning, sleepyhead! We've gone out for something to eat and figured we'd let you catch up on your sleep. We received word early this morning that His Majesty wishes to speak with our forces late this afternoon, around two. Be sure to get ready as soon as you get up. We'll be back soon!  
  
Hotaru set the note down on the dresser, rubbing her eyes and craning her stiff neck muscles. She looked over toward the ornate clock on the wall. She was surprised that she'd slept so late - it was already ten o'clock.  
  
"Must've been more out of it than I thought." she mumbled to herself. It didn't matter though; she still had plenty of time to get ready for a meeting with the king despite how long she usually took getting herself prim enough to appear before him. Endymion had insisted to keep the meetings between him and the Sailor Soldiers more toward the informal side, but Hotaru had felt uncomfortable the last time she'd followed his advice. She'd felt too.out of place, too much like a little girl among the older soldiers. Fortunately, the presence of ChibiUsa and her surrogate parents made things a bit less overwhelming for her. They went out of their way to make her feel included, at home.  
  
She smiled to herself, thinking about how ChibiUsa would be behaving herself in front of the new guests. "As long as her head doesn't go lurching into the clouds when Gohan walks in."  
  
As she headed back to her own smaller room, the knob suddenly rattled, the large bronze door swinging open. What timing, Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama were back already.  
  
"Ah, finally." Hotaru froze as a smaller figure hurried inside, turning to close the heavy door behind him. From the purple karate gi and scruffy, shoulder-length hair, it had to be-  
  
"Son Gohan?!?!" she instinctively cried out as the boy turned. He didn't even realize that she was in the room until he'd turned to face her. "What are you doing here?!"  
  
Hotaru instinctively covered herself despite the long nightgown and terrycloth robe that she was wearing. Gohan had frozen where he was standing, his face turning red. He looked dumbfounded, shocked, or both; Hotaru couldn't tell which.  
  
A few moments later, he gasped and tore his face away from the sight in front of him, realizing what he was doing.  
  
"H-hotaru!! I'm sorry, I must've made a wrong turn somewhere!! You, you see I was looking for the bathroom, err, I mean the men's bathroom of course, and I, uhh, umm.oh, no..."  
  
She was still tense, but as the shock wore off, she lowered her arms and walked up to the shuddering boy, curiosity and amusement overcoming her. Was the same warrior who'd so defiantly attacked the alien commanders now cowering before her like a baby puppy all because he'd walked into the wrong room?  
  
"Gohan, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you so badly," she giggled, which drew his face back around. "Ha ha, you look like you've seen a ghost!"  
  
That seemed to put Gohan at ease, and he relaxed his stance, his breathing slowing down.  
  
"Ahh.thank, thank you, Hotaru," he sheepishly said. "It's just that.whenever me or my dad accidentally walked in on my mom when she was changing, the whole forest would wake up."  
  
Hotaru laughed a little bit more, leading Gohan away from the door.  
  
"Sounds a bit like Haruka-papa sometimes," she said to him. "By the way, you guys were up later than we were last night. Do you know anything about what the king wants to speak about today?"  
  
"Not a thing," Gohan shook his head as he stepped into the living area. "After ChibiUsa led us to the royalty suites and we got settled in, most of us fell asleep in a hurry, except for Mister Piccolo. I don't think any of us have ever enjoyed that good of a night's sleep."  
  
"It was the least we could do." Hotaru was absently brushing some strands of hair out of her face. "Sorry, I don't exactly look decent right now. I just rolled out of bed about ten minutes ago."  
  
"What do you mean?" Gohan asked, looking a bit surprised. "I thought that girls looked the prettiest whenever they were in bed."  
  
Hotaru found herself a bit taken back by that one.  
  
"What.what do you mean?" she stammered , attempting not to look too embarrassed.  
  
"Well, I heard it from Krillin and Kamesennin," Gohan explained. "Sometimes, they read these special magazines about girls. And whenever I ask about them, they tell me--"  
  
Hotaru quickly held up her hand, content with forming her own conclusions about the rest of the explanation. She made sure to keep that in mind whenever Krillin was around Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama.  
  
"I think you've been a little misled, Gohan," Hotaru giggled a bit, amused by the confusion playing across the young boy's face. "I just hope that they didn't show you any of those 'special magazines.'"  
  
Before Gohan could respond, she heard the door open and close again. She heard soft footsteps across the carpeting; this time - at least she hoped anyway - there was no mistake: her parents had returned.  
  
Seconds later, Michiru stepped around the corner, donning a casual dress. She flashed them a surprised smile as she spotted the young Z Warrior in their living room. She didn't speak at first, and when she did, she directed it toward Hotaru.  
  
"And to think that I started young with relationships." she said. "How did you manage to lure such a handsome boy in here, Hotaru?"  
  
Her mirthful tone was obvious, and even Hotaru couldn't help but smile a bit at Gohan's blunder. She glanced back at him, and she saw that he was back in the same position as before - frantic and attempting to make up any kind of passable excuse that he could.  
  
"I-I-I'm sorry, I was trying to find the bathroom and I kinda got lost." he trailed off, smiling nervously. "I didn't mean anything, honest."  
  
Michiru laughed aloud, shaking her head.  
  
"Relax, Gohan, no harm done," She motioned toward a plain-looking white door on the other side of the bed, "Help yourself."  
  
Gohan bowed gratefully. "Right through there? Thanks, Sailor Neptune, I really appreciate it."  
  
He hurried past Hotaru and stepped through the door, closing and locking it behind him.  
  
Hotaru glanced back at Michiru with a bit of anxiety in her eyes. "Are you sure about that, Michiru-mama? It probably isn't what he's accustomed to."  
  
"I wouldn't worry, Hotaru," she strolled into the living area, rubbing her daughter's hair as she stepped past her. "Even at his age, I think that he'd be too slow to grasp the idea."  
  
She smiled back at her, deciding to change the subject.  
  
"What does His Majesty wish to discuss with us?"  
  
Michiru shook her head, removing a pair of her earrings.  
  
"I'm not entirely sure," she replied, laying the earrings on the dresser. "All I know is that Haruka and I had a visit from Piccolo late last night. He said that 'things were going to be heading in the right direction' when the meeting time came around, or something like that."  
  
"Right direction?" Hotaru wondered. "What's worth disturbing your sleep over after such a grueling battle?"  
  
"I don't know the details, though it doesn't sound like an exaggeration," she said. "I suppose we'll know soon enough. But for now, would you like to go and get ready? We were going to get something to eat as soon as Haruka comes back."  
  
Hotaru nodded enthusiastically. She hadn't been able to catch a decent meal since the day before the palace ambush, and a little breakfast would be like a slice of heaven after yesterday.  
  
Before she could round the corner for her room, Michiru called back to her once more.  
  
"He is quite a gentleman, you know."  
  
She glanced back her surrogate mother with surprise, and she saw a slightly mischievous, slightly suggestive smile on her face. "And he's very strong and quite handsome for his age. He's got to be close to your age. Well, he's close if you measure in their years."  
  
Hotaru felt a little embarrassed at the idea. After all, she hadn't been interested in Son Gohan in that way despite his off-hand, unintentional comment about her.  
  
"I don't think so, Michiru-mama," she replied. "Besides, even if I tried, the princess has her eyes on him."  
  
"That doesn't surprise me too much," Michiru replied. "After all, he did save her life and the rest of ours. But you know what they say, don't you, Hotaru?"  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"All's fair in love and war."  
  
The toilet flushed from inside the bathroom, and Hotaru turned and walked back toward her room to get herself ready for the day. She couldn't believe that Michiru had even hinted at the idea of her and Son Gohan. They'd only met less than twenty-four hours ago, and despite his heroic nature, she wasn't about to go falling all over him like ChibiUsa. It just wasn't her.  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
When she spotted Son Gohan exiting from her room, Haruka didn't know what to say or even think. She'd just finished relieving a few of the night watchers and was ready to catch up with Michiru and Hotaru back in their room, but the last thing she expected was to see the Saiyan boy strolling out of the room with a large smile on his face.  
  
"Son Gohan.?!" Even as he passed by her, Haruka was certain that he would've just kept right on walking if she hadn't said something. Where was that boy's head at? What had he been doing in there?!  
  
"Oh, good morning, Sailor Uranus!" he stopped and turned to face her. "How are you doing?"  
  
For a moment, she just stood there and stared at him, her body not certain how to react. Her mind kept telling her that the only other one in the room before Michiru had gone back had been Hotaru, and that began to spark maddening images.  
  
"Gohan.why were you just in our quarters? I thought all the warriors in your group were taken to the other side of the palace."  
  
"Oh, that?" He answered. "Oh, I'm sorry; I just had to use your bathroom, though I accidentally walked in on Hotaru."  
  
She felt her eyes lighting up with anger, though she tried to keep her voice down. She was barely successful in that regard.  
  
"You.what.??"  
  
The boy suddenly gasped, as if realizing the error he'd made.  
  
"Oh, wait!! No, no, I meant that I walked into the room while she was inside! It was an accident, I promise! I didn't see anything under her robe, I promise!"  
  
Haruka stood there motionless in front of the panicking boy, fighting the impulse to release her rage onto him. However, as she glanced down at his frightened, embarrassed demeanor, she calmed herself, albeit with some difficulty. It was just too innocent, too genuinely.funny, for lack of a better term, to be a lie. She shook her head at Gohan's naiveté.  
  
"You're certainly something else, Gohan. Now run along, we'll see you at the meeting later," She said in a light voice, putting the boy's attitude at ease. He smiled back, jogging down the hall and waving back to her as he hurried out of sight.  
  
She laughed to herself, walking toward their room. Michiru had to have seen him inside once she got back, and Haruka was more curious than ever to find out what had gone on that had caused the child to blunder so badly.  
  
* * *  
  
The throne room of the palace was a marvelous sight. Even Piccolo couldn't deny that. Pictograms engraved into the crystalline floor dominated the center circle of the chamber while a huge glass skylight allowed the high afternoon sun to reach into the entire room. To the right and left sides of the throne room were high walls that extended upward to a stack of bleacher-style platforms. Desks were built into the platforms, each of them the size of an average dining table. Though he wasn't familiar with architecture, Piccolo guessed that hundreds of diplomats, politicians, and advisors gathered here to discuss the running of Crystal Tokyo with the royalty. The seats were empty now, most of them being restored by bustling architects from the aftermath of the palace attack. Either the seat-holders had been killed during the early stages of the war, or the council had been called off during the crisis. Either way, Piccolo felt a bit more at ease without several hundred pairs of eyes staring at him from the bleachers.  
  
The set of thrones at the front of the chamber was unexceptional - ornate, brightly colored tapestry depicting some kinds of stately symbols was vertically hanging at least five yards above the two larger thrones, and the regal seats themselves had to have been delicately carved out of large blocks of crystal. The various angles chiseled out of the sides of the dignified thrones were too precise to have been done with a machine. It made the structures appear as the focal point of the room, which made enough sense. If a monarch wanted to command respect and authority from his or her politicians, then such attention was a necessity.  
  
The throne on the right was currently unoccupied, and it was adorned with a thin gold and jeweled scepter as well as several smaller tapestries. Piccolo assumed that it was the missing Serenity's throne, and as he saw the regal King Endymion take his place in the left throne, Piccolo noticed a twinge of anxiety and pain within Endymion's life force as he stole a glance at his wife's seat. Obviously, he was more concerned than anybody over Serenity's current fate.  
  
The other Sailor Soldiers - without their battle uniforms - were lined around him, Haruka and Michiru on his left side, the princess and Hotaru on his right. All of them were casually dressed as per the king's orders, though Piccolo was curious as to how they managed to go from such casual everyday clothes to their high-profile, nearly glamorous-looking battle outfits without consuming massive amounts of time.  
  
"Thank you for coming, all of you," The king began, speaking in a more dignified tone than when he and Piccolo had spoken the night before.  
  
During their late-night conversation, Endymion had informed Piccolo about most of what had happened before Sailor Pluto had summoned them into the war. While he hadn't been able to brief the others about the current situation, Piccolo knew that even with their combined strength, things wouldn't be easy. As it turned out, most of the capital city had either been captured or destroyed, and the majority of the experienced Crystal Tokyo soldiers had been wiped out. The few that remained were attempting to vigilantly defend the remnants of Crystal Tokyo from the onslaught of enemy soldiers. Supplies were becoming scarce, morale for the surviving civilians was in the pits, and contact with the small settlements outside the city had been cut off. Endymion had assumed the worst for the less protected people beyond the Outer Sanctum of the city, especially if the aliens had struck as hard there as they had on Crystal Tokyo city itself.  
  
As for the opposition, preliminary scouting reports had placed the current number from between five thousand to fifteen thousand. They were highly-trained in martial arts and energy manipulation, but Endymion knew nothing of their origin or why they would want to destroy Crystal Tokyo. He'd been slightly disappointed when the king had told him - he was hoping that Endymion's testimony could've provided him with a more solid link to his theory about the aliens being linked to Frieza's army of the past.  
  
But the surprise factor is in our favor at this point, at least. They won't be expecting warriors of our caliber to emerge from thin air. And with a little bit of luck on our side, this war may yet be won.  
  
Piccolo glanced around at his cohorts, all of them standing respectfully before the king in a long row. It had been difficult to rouse some of them - Krillin and Yamcha in particular - from their comfortable slumber only a few hours before, but they'd managed to pull themselves off of their cushy beds and clean themselves up enough to look presentable before the royalty. Much of that had been at the Namek's insistence; if they wanted to earn respect among their partners as quickly as possible, looking as trim as possible was certainly a good step. The only surprise he saw was that Vegeta had joined their group to participate in the meeting. While Piccolo was sure that the Saiyan prince had his own motives in mind for attending the session, he kept quiet about it - there was no sense in starting any in-fighting.  
  
"Before we begin, I think we should have a round of introductions," the king suggested.  
  
The Z Warriors complied, with Krillin and Yamcha starting off. They introduced themselves as two martial artists, Krillin as the disciple of the Kamesennin style and Yamcha as a warrior trained in the wild and refined in the more sophisticated styles recently. Tenshinhan and Chaozu introduced themselves similarly, though Tenshinhan's attitude was more serious and business-like than Chaozu's friendly greeting. Gohan introduced himself as Piccolo's student in survival and martial arts training, and Piccolo had in turn proclaimed himself as Gohan's teacher and survivalist warrior from the planet Namek. Endymion seemed pleased with them, nodding in approval as he gazed at the line.  
  
"And you?" He glanced over toward Vegeta, who was standing with his arms folded at the line's left end. Piccolo noticed Haruka and Michiru visibly tensing as the attention was shifted toward Vegeta.  
  
"Me?" Vegeta replied nonchalantly. "Oh, I'm nobody of importance. I'm just another fighter who's looking to destroy the creatures attacking this planet. You may call me Vegeta."  
  
Endymion hesitated for a moment, gazing with narrowed eyes at the arrogant prince.  
  
"Odd." he said lowly, rising from his throne. "I don't exactly recall your face or your name in the files we researched."  
  
"That's because the Saiyan wasn't in the files, my liege," Haruka spoke up, staring with disdain at Vegeta. "He's an 'uninvited guest,' if you will. His stake in this war isn't the same as the others; he fights for his own purposes."  
  
Endymion reached onto his belt and drew a long sharp blade from a scabbard.  
  
"A full-blooded Saiyan, here?" He angrily said as Piccolo suddenly felt the friendly meeting coming apart. He suddenly wished he'd informed the king of Vegeta's background during their discussion last night. He inwardly cursed himself for letting his mind slip on it. "What purpose do you have in coming to my realm?"  
  
Vegeta didn't seem the least bit worried.  
  
"Calm down, Endymion, and put your weapon away," he said, stepping forward to the steps leading up to the throne. "It's true; I'm one of the last of the full-blooded Saiyans in existence in my era. And you're correct, I have no reason to protect or defend this pathetic planet like my associates have chosen to do."  
  
"Then give me a good enough reason to allow you to remain within my palace walls," Endymion didn't back down, much to Piccolo's surprise. As powerful as Vegeta was, Piccolo respected the king for having the courage to stand up to the Saiyan's bravado. "Why should I trust a member of such a treacherous race like Saiyans?"  
  
"For one thing, you shouldn't," Haruka grumbled, causing Vegeta to glance over at her in exasperation. "Never in our old history were Saiyans ever trust-worthy."  
  
"Don't tempt me," Vegeta growled back, suddenly smirking a bit. "Besides, I did a little researching of my own last night, and your record surprised me most of all, Sailor Uranus. As treacherous and uncouth as you say that Saiyans are, we at least never tried to murder our children if they were useful to us."  
  
"Vegeta!!" Piccolo yelled at him before the confrontation could become any more heated. The Saiyan held up a hand toward his Namek associate, calm and collected as ever. Haruka, on the other hand, was biting her tongue and bottling some of her rage toward the Saiyan. The remark seemed to have spurred the entire contingent of Sailor Soldiers, all of them glaring with even more hatred at Vegeta, although Hotaru was looking a bit more confused than the rest. Piccolo started wondering what kind of past deed Vegeta had found out about.  
  
"As I was saying, Endymion," he continued, pacing slowly around in front of the throne. "I have my own reasons for wanting these aliens dead. While those reasons do not coincide with yours, our ends are the same. And despite your faith in the six fighters before you, none of them have nearly enough battle experience or power that I possess. I've seen more war and battling in my lifetime than your entire army put together."  
  
Endymion withdrew his sword.  
  
"Maybe," he said. "But how do I know that you won't betray us? You and your people destroyed entire worlds for the sake of money and enjoyment. Is this task any different for you?"  
  
"Ha ha, you know your history, Endymion," Vegeta said, a little impressed at Endymion's resolve not to back down. "But, do not mistake my former trade with this business. My involvement with the planet trade wasn't only for the money or the satisfaction of vaporizing lesser life forms. It was part of a grander scheme: for me to get close enough to the tyrant who destroyed my race and to wait for the right opportunity to eliminate him. This war is no different. Our victory is part of a grander design for me, and unless I cooperate with you and earn the trust of your services, my own goals can never be realized."  
  
"Our services?" Endymion asked. "What are you getting at?"  
  
"Why would I want to destroy that which is useful to me, Endymion?" Vegeta went on. "So set your mind at ease. I have no desire to kill you, your Sailor Soldiers, or anybody in this little kingdom. My goal is to vanquish this infestation of aliens from Earth, and like it or not, you'll need my help."  
  
Piccolo glanced over at the king, and he saw the indecision in Endymion's eyes. The king was certainly not eager to entrust the safety of his kingdom on the shoulders of someone like Vegeta, but the Saiyan prince had made some valid points in his argument, some that Piccolo had to agree with. Vegeta possessed more knowledge of combat than even the Namek warrior did, and that knowledge would be vital against an army of well-trained enemies.  
  
The king finally looked up, facing the smug prince's face.  
  
"Very well, Vegeta," he nodded. "We welcome your 'services.' But be forewarned - at the first sign of trouble from you, you'll regret ever stepping foot into this realm."  
  
"Your point is noted," Vegeta mock bowed at the king and the Sailor Soldiers, returning to the others. As he got a good distance away from the royalty, Piccolo heard him mutter one more phrase under his breath. "And ignored."  
  
"Moving along," the king addressed the assembly. "First of all, I wish to thank each of you for your interference in the previous night's battle that saved the lives of four of our warriors, including my daughter's. All of us owe you our gratification."  
  
Piccolo noticed the princess staring at Gohan after the statement, her eyes possessing a strange sparkle as she continued to gaze at the unknowing boy. Ignoring it for the moment, he stepped forward to address to the king.  
  
"It was the least we could do for our new allies, Endymion," he said. "Though with the enemy encroaching on the last lines of defense, I suggest we talk about how exactly we're going to go about a counter-attack against these aliens."  
  
"Of course," he said, sitting down in his throne. "As I was speaking to Piccolo last night, I informed him that upon your arrival, our original plan had been for both Z Warriors and Sailor Soldiers to join together as a counter-attack force against the alien hordes. From the research done on your various battles, the seven of you are accustomed to combating overwhelming odds."  
  
You have a way with understatements... Piccolo thought before continuing. "And what have you gathered about the enemy soldiers? Any weaknesses?"  
  
"Haruka, I think you should field this," Endymion nodded toward her, inviting her to explain.  
  
"Though the fighting has not lasted for an extended period," she began. "We do have a general idea of what these soldiers are like. They're not particularly strong on their own or even in pairs and triplets, but when dozens of them are attacking at one, they become lethal. Also, as you mentioned before, Piccolo, the soldiers in our army are not accustomed to fighting in this type of warfare. Before now, our battles had been more conventional."  
  
"I doubt that even our combined power could wipe out all of these guys," Tenshinhan broke in, stepping forward to address the group with Piccolo. "Whatever kind of operation they're running, it seems like they have an overabundance of resources to back up their efforts. Even with superior numbers, it would take a good deal of strategy to coordinate an invasion of this size."  
  
"We haven't been able to locate any kind of central command headquarters anywhere within the city," Michiru continued, brushing some hair out of her eyes. "We've also been able to detect large spaceships arriving and departing within the Outer Sanctum."  
  
"Probably dropping off soldiers and equipment," Krillin mused. "I'd be willing to bet that they've got some kind of mother ship in space somewhere, and they're getting their orders from there."  
  
"But what kind of spaceship can house that many soldiers?" Chaozu wondered.  
  
"We can't be certain," Haruka continued. "But I'd be willing to assume that they've got a miniature fleet out there. It certainly wouldn't surprise me considering what I've seen in the past few days."  
  
Piccolo smirked within himself. He could sense a twinge of jealousy within the Sailor Soldier, probably stemming from how he'd so quickly dismantled Tridyx and vaporized his fallen carcass while they'd been nearly powerless to stop him. The envy was somewhat unfounded - he was still certain that given time to fully rejuvenate and a unified attack plan, the giant would've eventually fallen to the Sailor Soldiers.  
  
"If they do," Piccolo said. "Then perhaps there is a weakness in their armor. The enemies we've faced are nothing but mindless sentinels - the trio that you faced last night was probably close to the top of the chain of command if they were sent to attack the palace alone."  
  
"I think I know what you're suggesting," Endymion nodded. "But we're rather powerless to attack whatever command ships that they have in outer space. We've only begun to experiment on space exploratory craft, and the few prototypes we did have had to be scrapped for their materials. We don't have the technology or the knowledge necessary to construct a spaceship, much less one that's combat capable."  
  
"There could be another way," Tenshinhan suggested, his brow furrowed in thought. "What about the troop carrying ships?"  
  
"Now there's an idea." Krillin nodded in agreement. "If we commandeer one of those, it'll take us straight back to their command ship!"  
  
"It would be difficult.nearly impossible, perhaps," Piccolo mused. He didn't very much care for the idea, since trekking all the way to the outer edges of the city would mean going through a whole army of soldiers standing in their way, and even if they got their hands on a ship, they'd have to deal with piloting it back to the fleet and sneaking aboard a populated enemy vessel undetected.  
  
"The problem is our numbers, though," Vegeta seemed to confirm his worries. "There are still hundreds, maybe thousands of them out there, and there are only a dozen of us. Besides, if we left this place unguarded, it would be a welcome invitation for the hordes to swarm our own command post."  
  
"It's still a viable alternative." Endymion had been mulling it over carefully from his throne, weighing in the possibilities even as the group presented suggestions. "However, manpower and our defenses are the largest, most immediate problems at the moment. As I mentioned before, the Sailor Soldiers killed in last night's battle were key to our morale and a strong source of our fighting strength. Without them, our task becomes even more difficult."  
  
"Umm.excuse me," Gohan's voice chimed in, surprising Piccolo somewhat. As brave as he could be, Piccolo hadn't expected Gohan - someone with little combat strategy experience - to speak at all during the meeting. "But I think I might have a way to solve that problem."  
  
The five near the throne looked confused, and for good reason.  
  
"What are you talking about, Gohan?" Piccolo asked.  
  
"I thought of it last night after the battle, and I wasn't sure it would work until recently," Gohan continued. "But perhaps we can restore the dead Sailor Soldiers to life."  
  
Then, the realization hit Piccolo as to what the boy was getting at. He couldn't believe himself - why hadn't he thought of that?  
  
"Gohan, are you talking about the Dragonballs?"  
  
"That's right," he nodded. "It's been a long time since we used them to wish back everybody on Namek; they've been active for a while."  
  
He glanced up at the attentive Sailor Soldiers.  
  
"And since you guys said that the time portal leading back to our world wouldn't totally disappear without Sailor Pluto's command, I think it could work!"  
  
"Hold on a second, Gohan," Krillin held up his hands. "I don't think that our allies here even know what in the world you're talking about."  
  
"Please go on." ChibiUsa looked incredibly hopeful, as did the king. "What are these Dragonballs?"  
  
"Long ago in our time period," Piccolo began. "The Guardian of the Earth created seven mystical orbs called Dragonballs. If all of them were gathered into one place, you could summon Shen-ron, the Eternal Dragon, and he would grant a single wish to the collector."  
  
"Any wish at all?" Endymion arched an eyebrow, somewhat disbelieving.  
  
"Yup," Gohan replied. "We've used them a few times ourselves, mostly for wishing our friends back to life."  
  
"Incredible." Michiru looked astonished. "Could they restore our friends even though they're so far into the future from your era?"  
  
"I wouldn't see why not," Yamcha answered. "And it could give us the extra support we need to help go through with this war."  
  
"Hold on a second," Vegeta broke in abruptly. "I hate to be the bearer of realism, but have you forgotten? The five who were killed last night were done in by one of their low-ranking commanders, still only a grunt by the standards of the other two. If they're as gung-ho as I would suspect to get back into battle, it would be a wasted wish."  
  
"Are you accusing our friends of being weak, Saiyan?" Haruka glared back at him.  
  
"I'm merely speaking the truth," Vegeta said nonchalantly. "Admit it; as much support as they could serve against the dogs outside, they wouldn't last against someone like Tridyx or the other two commanders."  
  
Piccolo thought it over for a moment, admitting that Vegeta had made a good point. It wouldn't be worth sacrificing someone to send back to collect the Dragonballs if the resurrected would only come back to be killed again. And despite his confidence in the Sailor Soldiers' abilities as a charged, cohesive unit.  
  
"Wait a minute." he suddenly said, a notion occurring to him. "Krillin, how long did it take for all of you to gather the Dragonballs when you wished Goku back?"  
  
"This is a waste of time." Vegeta grumbled.  
  
"A few months, but that was only because they were pretty spread out," Krillin answered. "It all depends where they've ended up since we used them; it depends on how accessible they are, too."  
  
"Good, that should be enough time," Piccolo nodded. "I think I may be able to pull some strings in my own era. There's a martial arts master that exists in the after world. He's a bit of an oddball, but he's knowledgeable and powerful in his own way. If we send someone back to search for the Dragonballs, they could train under him in meantime. Even a short period with him can increase their powers substantially."  
  
"Are you talking about Lord Kaio?" Tenshinhan asked. "But how do we know that he even still exists in the after world of this era?"  
  
"Believe me, Tenshinhan," Piccolo shook his head. "Someone as eccentric as Lord Kaio is the type of person that never goes away."  
  
There were a few chuckles at that remark. Piccolo turned back to face the king.  
  
"Well, what do you think, Endymion?"  
  
"It would help us out in many ways," he agreed. "It would give us something to do while we formulate a better counter-attack plan. Not to mention that it would be magnificent if we could get our friends back."  
  
"But who would go back to the Old Era?" Hotaru asked. "Any of our powers would be needed to activate the portal, but we would need one of the Z Warriors to help in locating these Dragonballs."  
  
"That won't be a problem," Piccolo answered nearly right away. Looking over the members of the group, there really was no second guessing who would be going back from their side. "I have better knowledge of Earth's terrain than any of the others here, and I'm one of the fastest ones out of our group. You'll need me if you want to recover the Dragonballs quickly enough."  
  
"But Piccolo, why you?" Krillin asked. "I mean, not to give you a big head or anything, but you are one of the strongest ones here, and--"  
  
"Enough, Krillin, it must be me," Piccolo insisted. "Besides, if we want those Sailor Soldiers to be of better use to us, I'm the closest one that can convince Kami to grant us some favors with the after world."  
  
"Point taken." Krillin responded. None of the others seemed to have any arguments - they either all agreed with him or were simply unwilling to undertake the collection task.  
  
"Very well," Endymion glanced over at the Sailor Soldiers. "The power from the Sailor Soldiers can reactivate the time portal in the area where it dropped all of you off. Take at least one of them with you, Piccolo."  
  
"They can decide for themselves, I have no preferences."  
  
"Your Majesty, I volunteer myself," To Piccolo's expectation, Haruka was the first to speak.  
  
The king gazed thoughtfully at Haruka, and he finally shook his head.  
  
"No, I can't send you, Haruka, I'm sorry," he said to her. "You're one of the few higher commanders of the battalions that we have left. I need you to remain here to help oversee the soldiers and help stabilize the waning morale. Please understand."  
  
Endymion obviously expected the decline to be a fierce blow to Haruka, and the visible amount of frustration and disbelief on her face proved him to be correct.  
  
"But Your Majesty!" she protested vigorously. "If I combine my power with Piccolo, we're certain to find those artifacts in no time! Not to mention that--"  
  
She suddenly stopped herself, composing her demeanor as if she had nearly let something slip out in the midst of her frustrations. Piccolo smirked inwardly, realizing her true intentions - she wanted to come along as a babysitter to watch over his activities back in the past. He could still sense the large amount of distrust within her, just as he had during the previous night's meeting in her bedroom. He was almost a little disappointed that Endymion wouldn't allow her to go - he could've used some interesting company to keep him on his toes during the search.  
  
"I understand," she bowed in apology to the king. "I'll remain here as you order."  
  
"Then I'll be the one to go," Michiru nodded toward the king next, causing even further surprise to light up Haruka's face. "I'd rather not have ChibiUsa or Hotaru going back anyway. The trip may be too rough for them."  
  
"Now wait just a minute." Haruka began, grasping for words of protest that weren't forthcoming.  
  
"Michiru-mama?" Hotaru looked a bit disappointed. "I've dealt with a lot worse on a battlefield than a little bit of hiking can overshadow."  
  
"And I'm no stranger to Earth of the past either!" ChibiUsa seemed genuinely insulted about the remark. "I mean, how hard could it be to find seven orbs across the Earth?"  
  
Michiru refrained herself for a moment, replying calmly to the two younger Sailor Soldiers.  
  
"Hotaru, I know your powers in battle are extraordinary, I'm not questioning that. But a search like this can cover the entire planet - please don't take any offense, but I think I'd be better suited for a more arduous journey."  
  
"I understand." Hotaru was still disappointed but looked to reluctantly agree with Michiru. As for the princess, she was still steamed about Michiru's earlier remarks.  
  
"But what about me?" she went on, causing a look of anxiety to overcome the king's formerly even demeanor. Piccolo concurred with him - having a child under your care to worry about was a tougher task than it looked. "Come on, Michiru, let me go, too! I promise I can handle it!"  
  
"But ChibiUsa," Gohan said with a minor look of puzzlement on his face. "I thought that you were going to show me around the palace a bit later on? If you go, you won't be able to.maybe I'll ask Hotaru to do it instead?"  
  
ChibiUsa suddenly glanced over at Gohan and began to laugh sheepishly.  
  
"Ah, yes, err, I remember it now! Yeah, and it would, umm, be rude of me to break a promise," she stuttered, and Piccolo caught another glimpse of that strange sparkle in her eye that she'd possessed after the introductions. He rolled his eyes slightly - he didn't need his fighting instincts to tell where this was going. "Sorry, Michiru, I guess I can't go with you after all."  
  
Just my lucky day. Piccolo mused to himself, relieved that he wouldn't have to drag an ill-prepared child on the trip with him. Her maturity was even lower than Gohan's when he first took him for survival training. The more tranquil, focused Sailor Neptune would work more than adequately.  
  
Despite her reasoning, Endymion looked relieved himself that his daughter wasn't going.  
  
"Then, Michiru, you and Piccolo will be the ones to go back to the Old Era and retrieve the Dragonballs," he nodded in approval.  
  
"But my king.!" Haruka was still struggling to find something to object to the decision, but she appeared to be powerless - Endymion had already given her a direct order, and she seemingly feared to speak against it.  
  
"The matter is closed, Haruka," Endymion said to her, causing Haruka to growl in frustration under her breath. "I think that Michiru is more than capable of handling herself. Besides, with Piccolo to assist her, I think that finding those Dragonballs won't be much of a problem."  
  
"Y.yes, Your Majesty." she submitted, albeit reluctantly.  
  
"And as for the rest of us?" Tenshinhan asked, glancing around at the Z Warriors. "I'd rather not just sit around like dead weight - I say we start taking the fight back to the enemies during their absence."  
  
"I'm with him," Yamcha concurred. "Besides, if we can fend some alien trash, it could make them think twice about trying to attack the palace."  
  
"I agree, Yamcha," The king nodded. "I do have uses for all of you, if you are willing to undertake them. Many of my field units are still trapped out in the city along with many civilians. In addition, it would be helpful if some of my soldiers became familiar with energy manipulation defense techniques. The more help we can get in this war, the better our chances of survival."  
  
"Just set us loose, Endymion, and we'll create some havoc," Yamcha eagerly replied.  
  
"Before I do that, I have one more important piece of information to discuss," Endymion replied, looking toward the princess. "ChibiUsa, you told me last night that one of the commanders mentioned something about genetic immortality among all of the alien army's members?"  
  
"That's right," ChibiUsa replied. "The huge bald guy was telling us about it right before Sailor Uranus and the others came to help. I don't know if he was lying or not, but he basically told us that age didn't matter to them anymore - some of the same warriors on their side have been living and conquering longer than we've even been alive."  
  
"Genetic immortality?" Chaozu repeatedly absently. "It couldn't have meant complete immortality though. Piccolo killed that guy with ease; there was nothing left of him."  
  
Endymion scratched his chin in thought.  
  
"Perhaps," he suggested. "But I'm not exactly comfortable with the idea that our foes have any kind of immortality on their side. I advise everyone to be cautious when dealing with these beings - if some of them to survive attacks that would normally kill them, we may have to come up with new tac--"  
  
"Wait a minute!!" Vegeta suddenly blurted out. "Genetic immortality?!"  
  
Endymion glanced with surprise at the Saiyan. "Do you know something, Vegeta?"  
  
Vegeta pondered it for a moment, his facial expressions a twist of shock and disbelief. Finally, he calmed himself, looking back at the king.  
  
"Well?" Endymion asked again.  
  
"If there were doubts before in my mind, there aren't any now," he said flatly. "I know the identity of our mystery alien leader." 


	12. Divide and Conquer

Chapter 12: Divide and Conquer  
  
With their knowledge of the aliens being slightly limited, Krillin had figured that just about any kind of off-the-wall theory that could've arisen during the meeting would've been fair game. The only possibility that Krillin hadn't been prepared for was the startling revelation from the Saiyan prince.  
  
"Wait a second," Krillin leaned his head to the side, looking a bit incredulous. "How could you possibly know, Vegeta? Old friends of yours?"  
  
"Calm down, let me explain," he chided him, walking over to the steps leading up to the throne, addressing the entire congregation.  
  
"How do you know this man, Vegeta?" Endymion was looking as skeptical as any of them. His continuing distrust of the Saiyan was obvious in his tone.  
  
"I never knew him personally," he began. "He came into contact with the Saiyan race back when I was only a few years old. I don't remember much about him, but my father told me extensively about how notorious he was while he was among our kind."  
  
"What's his name?" Michiru asked.  
  
"Damos," Vegeta continued. "He's a mercenary, much like the people of our race were. But there was more to him than just fighting instincts and battle prowess. He was also a genius of a scientist, mostly within biology and genetics."  
  
"Genetics…Is that how he got this idea for eternal life?" Gohan wondered.  
  
"It's not immortality, per se, but the process he devised is pretty close in terms of genetic longevity. From what my father told me, he was able to surgically modify the cellular structures of a subject, adding various artificial proteins and micro-organisms to them. Once the modified cells became active, they could continually survive off of their own self-generated secretions, and they could function efficiently without the necessity of excessive nourishment. As the subject's normal cells began to die off, the modified cells would reproduce to replace them. Within a relatively short time span, every organ within the subject's body would be able to infinitely sustain itself without the fear of time and old age extinguishing their work. Thus, you could create an immortal soldier, though certainly not an invulnerable one."  
  
"Now that's a lot to swallow…" Krillin mused. "The guy's gotta be a super-genius to figure out how to come up with a cocktail mix like that."  
  
"I wouldn't mind some of that treatment myself," Yamcha added. "Keeping my awesome looks around for eternity would work out for everyone!"  
  
"Except for the women, I'm sure, Yamcha…" Chaozu mumbled.  
  
Vegeta scowled and continued. "Anyway, he presented the plan to my father in hopes of selling it to our army. Naturally, some of the warriors jumped at the chance of immortality. It was with great reluctance that my father accepted Damos's ideas, though he restricted the testing to only the most willing volunteers. He was still uncertain that such tampering with a creature's cells could've been risk-free."  
  
"I suppose this is the part where you say he was correct?" Krillin chimed in.  
  
"Yes, his fears were well-founded. The first batch of volunteers was infused with Damos's cellular modifications, and at first, the process was a success – they reported boosts in energy, awareness, and stamina. It was after Damos received his first set of payments that things begin to go wrong."  
  
"What happened?" Tenshinhan asked. "Did the soldiers end up dying?"  
  
"Worse," Vegeta continued. "Their minds began to snap because of the malfunctioning cells, causing them all to experience some kind of paranoid mania that made them as dangerous to themselves as they were to us. My father told me about how they began babbling incoherently, experiencing frequent hallucinations, and suddenly attacking other Saiyans for no apparent reason. That wasn't the end of it either; their bodies began to deteriorate, bones collapsing on themselves and layers of skin shedding from their exteriors. Eventually, we were forced to put them out of their misery."  
  
Krillin shuddered; he wondered if that had been the only act of mercy that the Saiyans had ever committed.  
  
"What happened to Damos?" Chaozu asked him.  
  
"He attempted to explain the setback and offered follow-up research on the modification techniques, but my father would have none of it. As far as he was concerned, he had seven dead warriors and lighter coffers thanks to Damos's failed immortality fomula. He ordered Damos's banishment from the planet."  
  
"Banishment?" Haruka looked surprised. "You actually let him live?"  
  
"Well, in a way," Vegeta laughed lightly. "He was stuffed onto a low-tech transport and shot out into space like a missile. There were bets going as to whether or nor he'd survive his trip through the atmosphere. It was a fitting fate for such an incompetent warrior. We assumed that he'd rot out in the coldness of space, suffocating slowly in his space pod."  
  
"Looks like you should've been a bit more direct," Yamcha snorted. "This whole thing could've been avoided otherwise."  
  
"That was one of my father's few mistakes," Vegeta replied. "If I were of age and on my father's throne, I would've personally vaporized him. As it was, I was only two years old at the time."  
  
"But if you shot him out into space in a cubicle," Hotaru mused. "How is it that he's shown up centuries later with an army at his disposal?"  
  
"Think somebody picked him up at some point?" Tenshinhan nodded in her direction. "I assume that Saiyans weren't the only ones able to travel through space by that point."  
  
"I'm not sure who would welcome such a treacherous leech aboard their ship," Vegeta snuffed, his brow sinking into thought. "But from what I can remember, interstellar traffic was heavy around my world during the time; Damos could've been rescued by anybody."  
  
"What about Frieza?" Piccolo ventured as Krillin struggled to keep up with the unfolding story. This was getting a bit complicated for his liking. "The enemies we've fought so far possess similar garb, fighting techniques, and technology that the soldiers the Frieza used to attack Namek."  
  
"Frieza?" Haruka asked with an arched eyebrow. "Do I want to know?"  
  
"You'd rather not," Krillin shook his head, feeling his body quivering slightly upon remembering the near-death and death he'd endured at the hands of Frieza. He'd tried to banish a lot of it from his memory since his revival, but he'd experienced quite a few nightmares since the incident. "Let's just say that in our time period, he was a ruthless overlord that was bent on conquering the Universe. He had enough power to do it too…he could vaporize entire planets with just the bat of an eye."  
  
Haruka looked intrigued but nonetheless said nothing, preferring to continue on about the current enemy.   
  
"If the army had something to do with Damos's rescue, then Frieza himself never went through with his questionable gene therapy," Vegeta continued. "Or perhaps he was never informed about Damos's retrieval at all. If Damos promised his rescuers the secret to eternal life in exchange for protection – and I'm willing to bet that he did – then he could've easily ensnared a large number of soldiers under his wing. After all, considering the sheer size of the army, a few battalions of soldiers could've slipped out of the rankings unnoticed to follow Damos and his crazy ideas."  
  
"And more were recruited and treated with the process as time went on…" Michiru added. "It's no surprise that his forces seem endless. And if Tridyx had been modified like he claimed to be, then he must've perfected the technique at some point."  
  
Vegeta sighed lowly, glancing back up at the group.  
  
"Nevertheless, despite our foes being immortal, they are far from invincible. Despite their bodily longevity, they can be killed as the Namek demonstrated for us."  
  
"It's still pretty surreal…almost unbelievable," Krillin said, shaking his head slowly. "If this guy perfected the process, it's kinda disturbing to think of how many people had to die in order for him to do it. They could've gone out even worse than those first Saiyan test volunteers."  
  
"His set of ethics may be lower than even Frieza's, but that just tells us that he'll stoop to anything to keep us from coming out of this alive," Piccolo responded. "It's a good trait to know…we'll just have to act the same way if it comes down to it."  
  
"But for now, I suggest we concentrate on the more urgent matters at hand," Endymion advised. "Damos, or whoever he is, can wait for a while. If we're to stick to this current plan, then it would be wise to enact it as soon as possible. Vegeta, your contributions are…appreciated."  
  
"Hah," Vegeta scoffed, his visible arrogance restored. "I'm just making sure we're all on the same page. I'd like to keep my teammates as competent as possible, just in case."  
  
"In any event…" Piccolo stepped in front of the prince to cut off any potential hostile exchanges. Krillin smirked with admiration at Piccolo's sense of control, his assertion of his leadership. Without his mediation abilities for a good long while, relations with the new allies were going to be more difficult to keep up with. "I agree with the king. Michiru, your power can activate the time portal, correct?"  
  
"Of course, as long as you can take me to it," she nodded.  
  
"That won't be a problem."  
  
"Very well," Endymion treaded past the groups, heading for the throne room entrance. "I'll leave the rest of the recovery mission to your discretion then. Good luck to the two of you. As for the rest of you, I'd like my daughter, Haruka, and Hotaru to give you a tour of the intelligence command center in about a half hour. Further strategizing can take place if needed."  
  
"Yes, Endymion," Haruka and Hotaru bowed respectfully; the king returned the gesture and exited the room, the huge double doors of the throne room slamming shut behind him.  
  
Krillin gazed after the king, mulling over the anxiety that had been present within him during the whole meeting.   
  
"He does pretty well for himself and the rest of you, all things considered."  
  
"He's been more involved with the army in these past weeks than he's ever been before," Hotaru told him. "You should've seen him before I healed him last night. He wasn't in the best of shape."  
  
"Piccolo," Michiru walked up to the stoic Namek. "I suggest we leave right away. It could take some effort to get through whatever defenses are lying between the palace and the time portal."  
  
"Certainly," Piccolo agreed. "I'll meet you at the front gates; I've got a few last minute things to take care of, as I'm sure you do."  
  
"Thank you," she politely said; Piccolo acknowledged her and stalked wordlessly out of the throne room. Krillin smirked as he sized up to the two – Piccolo had found a perfect travel companion for his shining personality. Michiru was very business-like, but more on the quiet side and obviously extremely intelligent. It may've been something worth taking interest in – it fit nicely with her slender, elegant form, something that Krillin could never get enough of. But for the moment, he guessed that she wanted to say her good-byes to Haruka and Hotaru, which was fine by him. The rest of his friends were beginning to disperse.  
  
"Michiru, take care of yourself, and good luck!" Krillin called back as he approached the throne room doors.  
  
"Try not to let Piccolo's attitude get to you," Yamcha offered as well. "He may act a bit cold at times, but I'd definitely trust him to watch my back."   
  
"Thanks, I'll try to remember that," she replied, albeit slightly uneasily.  
  
***  
  
"Take care, Michiru," ChibiUsa hugged her around the waist, smiling up at her. "Just think – after you get those Dragonballs, we can wish Puu and the others back to life!"  
  
"I'll do my best, princess," she smiled warmly, returning the hug. "Go ahead and catch up with the others; I believe you have a promise to keep."  
  
"That's right!" she glanced back at the others and spotted Gohan talking with Chaozu and Tenshinhan near the throne room doors. Vegeta had already taken off, and Yamcha and Krillin were leaving as well. She looked immensely relieved that she didn't miss him. "Gohan, wait up!!"  
  
She hurried down to the boy, greeting him warmly with a semi-dreamy smile on her face. Michiru rolled her eyes in amusement – Hotaru hadn't been kidding about her infatuation with the child warrior.  
  
"I wish I could go with you…" Hotaru looked drearily up at her. "I'll miss you, Michiru-mama, please come back okay…"  
  
Michiru kissed her forehead and smiled reassuringly at her.  
  
"Relax, Hotaru, you've got nothing to worry about," she said to her. "Once we make it back into the past, we'll be free from any kind of enemy danger. The only thing I'll have to worry about during the search is exhaustion, which I think is a bit preferable to battling alien hordes, don't you agree?"  
  
The remark lifted Hotaru's mood, and she nodded in agreement.  
  
"There you go," Michiru hugged her tightly. "I'll see if I can bring you two a few gifts from the Old Era, things we can't find anymore around here."  
  
"Thank you, Michiru-mama!" Hotaru laughed aloud, her love for simple little gifts still rivaling that of the princess. She pulled away from Michiru, scurrying to the entrance of the throne room, probably to catch up with ChibiUsa and Gohan. As the doors shut, it left her with her beloved, who was looking decidedly annoying and upset at Michiru's decision.  
  
"Haruka…" Michiru said to her as Haruka folded her arms. "You know that this is the only way."  
  
"I should be the one going," Haruka responded with irritation. "We still have to make sure that Piccolo is as honest and noble as he claims to be. He could just be trying to abandon us, or worse."  
  
Michiru kissed Haruka on the cheek as she spoke, attempting to reassure her.   
  
"I can do that job just as well, thank you very much," she teased her. "Besides, you've got your hands full with the rest of them, especially the Saiyan."  
  
Haruka's anger flared around her as Vegeta came to mind, her hatred of him extremely deep.  
  
"I can't believe what he said to me…" she fumed. "I just wanted to slice his throat open on the spot, and I probably would've if you hadn't stopped me."  
  
"His arrogance can be dealt with later," Michiru calmly said. "He's provided us with valuable information, and despite his own motivations for fighting with us, we'll need his help."  
  
"If you say so…but if he gets in my way even once…"  
  
"Fiery today, aren't you?" Michiru caressed her cheek, hugging her beloved tightly and kissing her one last time. "Save it for your own duties, Haruka. I'll be back in one piece, I promise."  
  
Heavy-hearted, Michiru turned away and exited the throne room, her mind clear. As much as she didn't want to leave the battleground that she should've been defending, Michiru had to admit that she didn't regret jumping at the chance to revive the others, however far-fetched the Dragonball story may've been.  
  
She strolled down the hallway, drawing out her transformation stick. She supposed it could've been worse – she could've gotten stuck with one of the Roving Eyes Pair, as she likened to Krillin and Yamcha. That would've made things interesting, probably amusing, but she at least took comfort in Piccolo's abilities to efficiently complete the search.  
  
But that Damos though. Whoever he was and whatever his connection to the Saiyan race may've been, he was a marked man as far as she was concerned. He possessed the vile arrogance to play God with his scientific devilry; if he'd existed for over ten centuries as Vegeta's story implied, who knew how many other worlds his fleet of infestation had destroyed. Earth could've been just another stone in the road for him.  
  
But after this search mission was over, Michiru would be more than glad to dish out justice to the maniacal overlord, and she and the other Sailor Soldiers would make sure that this was the last planet he contaminated.  
  
***  
  
"Tenshinhan," Piccolo's voice rang out as the warrior watched Choazu, Gohan, Hotaru, and Endymion's daughter wander off down the hall. She'd offered to keep her promise of showing Gohan around the palace, thought she seemed a little annoyed at the idea of Choazu and Hotaru tagging along; whatever her reasons, Tenshinhan wasn't certain. Piccolo's continued presence within the palace walls surprised him though – he expected the Namek to be at the front gates by now. "I have a favor to ask of you."  
  
"A favor? You?" he replied. "I don't think I've ever heard you say anything like that. What's the problem?"  
  
"I want you to take charge of things around here until I get back from the trip," Piccolo continued. "I don't trust things to hold up between our two groups with Haruka's paranoia and Vegeta's foul mouth. If you would, try to keep things in line from our side."  
  
Tenshinhan didn't know what to say. It was an unusual request, and he certainly didn't think that Piccolo would ask him of all people.  
  
"Hold on a moment," he protested. "I'm not cut out to be any kind of leader. What about Gohan, or Krillin? They've been in bigger pressure situations, and they're a bit more sociable than I am."  
  
"They also don't have the battle experience or perceptive wit needed to lead an attack force," Piccolo responded. "I'm sure you're aware that despite our power, we can't just go out there and try to annihilate every last soldier we came across; we'd be exhausted and worn out in no time at all. This is going to require careful strategy from us, and I think you can do quite well for yourself compared to the others."  
  
"I, I, uh," Tenshinhan didn't know how to respond, though he could see Piccolo's viewpoint more than he could agree with his own self-doubts. Most of what he'd stated was true. "Alright, I'll try to keep things level here while you're gone. I don't think it's going to be easy earning their respect – I didn't save their lives like you and Gohan did."  
  
"On the contrary," Piccolo patted Tenshinhan's shoulder reassuringly. "I think your tranquility and sense of inner control will earn you the respect you need among the other Sailor Soldiers and the king. Trust me, Tenshinhan, I wouldn't be asking this of you if I had the slightest doubt."  
  
"I'll take your word for it. Good luck in your search, Piccolo."  
  
"I wish the same to you," He glanced over Tenshinhan's shoulder, spotting Haruka exiting the throne room, a somewhat irritated and tense look on her face. "You may need it more than I will."  
  
Without another word, Piccolo stalked down the hallway and out of sight.  
  
Tenshinhan sighed to himself, still uncertain about his new role. As always, Piccolo's logic was sensible enough to at least convince him to go along with the strategy, but it was a part he'd yet to play in his lifetime. He had never considered himself a leader or anything close to one. His mindset had always been that of a student, a fighter that constantly learned from the environment around him.  
  
Haruka stepped past toward him, breaking his thoughts.  
  
"You look distraught," she began, placing her hands in her pockets and glancing over Tenshinhan's firm build. "Did your green friend have some sage advice to give you?"  
  
"In a way," he nodded, attempting to appear as friendly as possible. Aside from the king and the guard captain, Haruka seemed to be unofficially heading up the remaining Sailor Soldiers. "Although I could say the same about you. I have a feeling you have some issues of your own to deal with."  
  
"Perceptive," she acknowledged, the irritation on her face still as firm as before. "I can see why Piccolo trusts you over the others...Tenshinhan, wasn't it?"  
  
"Yes; it's good to meet you face to face, Haruka," he extended a hand toward the Sailor Soldier, who reluctantly shook with him.  
  
"I witnessed some of your handiwork back on the battlefield," Haruka replied, still looking as if she was studying the tall fighter, trying to feel his motives and personality out. "Your energy attack was similar to Piccolo's and Son Gohan's; tell me, have all of you trained together to acquire such techniques?"  
  
"That particular part," Tenshinhan cleared his throat before continuing. This was a fortunate break for him – if she was interested in the history of the Z Warriors, he could forge at least a bond of respect with her by a little story-telling. "Is a long story. If you'd like to hear about our history, I'd be more than happy."  
  
She nodded slowly, motioning for Tenshinhan to follow her down the hall.  
  
"I'm actually a bit more interested in how well the seven of you can perform on the battlefield," she replied. "If we're going into combat anytime soon, I'd rather not have any surprises out of any of you."  
  
Strict, business-like, and an ice queen. Tenshinhan mused. If Michiru was anything like her, then Piccolo was going to be in for a long search. But he could still respect that sort of attitude in the midst of a melee – a stern attitude most often begot concentration and better performance against an enemy. It reminded him of his own mindset in a way.  
  
"If you insist," he replied. "As long as you don't mind reciprocating."  
  
She glanced back at Tenshinhan with a bit of intrigue.  
  
"Of course not, though I did ask first. Perhaps we could enlighten each other on the way to the command center."  
  
"Lead the way."  
  
***  
  
The courtyard was much calmer than the night before, much to Piccolo's relief. The refugees were milling about the fields, conversing with each other and attempting to erect better shelters for themselves. Piccolo could see inward fear within most of them as he glanced around at their pale faces, but he admired the tenacity of the ones who continued the daily mundane tasks even with death encroaching them from all sides. As he passed closer to a few collections of bystanders, his acute hearing picked up some interesting dialogue.  
  
"Did you hear about the battle last night? I heard there was going to be another assault on the palace."  
  
"Did the Sailor Soldiers stop them?"  
  
"So I've heard, but they haven't been out and about all day. I don't get it – since we came here, not a day has gone by where they haven't been out here helping us or keeping our spirits up."  
  
"There could be something big going on inside, you know. War planning and such."  
  
"If anyone can bail us out of this mess, it's them. I just wish I could've seen them come back after winning that fight yesterday. It's reassuring, when they're around, you know?"  
  
"Did anyone see them return last night?"  
  
"No, but considering the frenzy that was going on in here, they probably slipped through unnoticed. Besides, if we're still in one piece, they must've been victorious!"  
  
"You're probably right."  
  
Piccolo was relieved as he listened in on the bantering pair. Whether by luck of by some deceit from the military, the refugees had learned nothing about the disastrous outcome of the previous night's battle before he, Gohan, and Krillin managed to turn the tide. He knew that the ruse wouldn't last forever – it would take a significant amount of time before he and Neptune could recover all seven Dragonballs – but hopefully the soldiers would be able to keep things under control until their return. The last thing the fledgling forces needed was a riot by disheveled civilians.  
  
He stopped at the gateway to the defense wall to wait for Sailor Neptune. Considering the extravagance of her battle gear, that could've been some time. Why anyone would go to such lengths for a brutal battle was beyond Piccolo's logic, but perhaps that was the custom for the female soldiers in the future. If that were the case, he was certainly embarrassed to have known about it – a fight was a bloody, savage clash of powerful foes, not a beauty contest.  
  
In the interim, all he had for company were a pair of young-looking sentries bearing polished silver pikes. They stood on either side of the doorway, serving as guard patrol.  
  
The guard on the right seemed a bit distracted – he was glancing off into the fields, the pike loosely held in his gloved hand. His partner seemed a bit more in awe as his met the intimidating Namek. Piccolo initially paid him no mind – he was more focused on keeping an eye out for Sailor Neptune.  
  
The youth's nervous voice broke the silence a few moments later.  
  
"They were telling us about you…the guys with the strength of ten thousand warriors," he said as Piccolo turned his head toward him. "They implied that you would be our saviors from all of this."  
  
"Saviors?" Piccolo narrowed his eyes. "You've lost faith in your old heroines already?"  
  
The guard shrank back a bit, growing increasingly timid.  
  
"Well, the Sailor Soldiers, they've, err…"  
  
Piccolo shook his head slowly.  
  
"I dislike warriors depend on others in a fight and shrink to nothing when their idols fall," he said with irritation. "You have combat training if I'm not mistaken."  
  
The guard nodded but said nothing.  
  
"Then you are not totally helpless against these enemies; not at all. There may come a time where all of us have to band together to repel these parasites. Even with the Sailor Soldiers, our group can't exterminate all of them on our own."  
  
"But there are so many of them, and they're too tough for swords and spears to go through."  
  
Piccolo glanced over the stuttering soldier, softening his gaze to a bit to calm the youth's nerves.  
  
"Just keep your courage up and your spear high," he reassured him. "That will be all you need."  
  
That seemed to strengthen his resolve as he nodded briskly and tightened his grip on the spear, returning his attention to his duties.  
  
"Did you think of that all by yourself?" A female voice called down from the top of the wall. Piccolo spotted his partner casually leaning against one of the spires, an amused smile on her face. He couldn't help but be surprised – Michiru had changed into her elaborate battle garb quicker than he thought was humanly possible.  
  
"You're early," he flatly said.  
  
"What, did you expect me to take extra time dazzling myself up for you?" Sailor Neptune laughed, holding up a rod-shaped ornament with an oddly-engraved sphere topping it. "Not while I possess this. Each of us has one – it gives us the ability to instantly transform into our battle outfits."  
  
Piccolo snuffed; that made a bit more sense. He was curious as to how such sorcery was possible, but he decided to save that question for another time. He lifted himself into the air and touched down next to hear on the wall.  
  
"Are you fully prepared?"  
  
"Unless you'd prefer carrying some luggage with you," Sailor Neptune replied. "I can go and pack a few if it's to your liking."  
  
Piccolo smirked.  
  
"That won't be necessary," he shook his head. "This shouldn't take very long; you can live off of what you find there."  
  
"As long as I have a good place to eat and a comfortable bed," she told him. "Now, can you remember the way back to the time gate?"  
  
"Indeed," he answered. He should've remembered – if he didn't, it would be quite embarrassing for his pride considering his commendable sense of direction. "How adept are you at flight?"  
  
Neptune looked a bit uncertain.  
  
"All of us only recently managed to begin slow and steady flight in a straight line. Considering how fast you got here, you'd leave me in the dust."  
  
"A slow crawl may not be such a bad idea," Piccolo explained. "It'll keep us from being noticed by the sentries down below. But just watch your back just in case."  
  
"Huh, I thought that was your job," she snidely remarked. "You know, the master not leaving the treasures out for the thieves to steal?"  
  
"Touché," Piccolo replied. "Still bitter about that?"  
  
"I think you're in for a surprise if you continue to underestimate my abilities," she lifted herself straight up – though with significant effort – into the air, motioning for him to follow. "Well, master, shall we? Oh, and if you would, I'd prefer if you fly in front of me."  
  
Piccolo flinched visibly at the sarcasm, which sparked another laugh out of Neptune. Nevertheless, he lifted himself up to her level, nodding toward the southeast.  
  
"It's in that direction," Piccolo explained.  
  
"The enemy will no doubt have found it by now," Neptune ventured. "But only the power of the Sailor Soldiers or another incredibly holy power can trigger the gate. Setsuna designed them that way."  
  
Piccolo was pleased, impressed by the foresight and intelligence of their recruiter. Once she was revived, Sailor Pluto would no doubt become a valuable asset despite her affinities for old Kami.  
  
They started off on their way, soaring slowly – almost too slowly for Piccolo's liking – across the devastated city, ascending a bit to keep out of the sight of any enemies hiding on the ground. Suppressing their energy completely was impossible as long as they were flying, but running the tiny risk of being spotted in the air was a better option then simply charging through a populated combat zone.  
  
From what Piccolo could sense through the haze of active ki that still permeated the atmosphere, there were still some smaller energies skittering around in the wreckage of the city below them. They were probably survivors of the chaos, still looking for a place to hide from the infestation that was corroding the city. Neptune seemed to scanning the ground below them for any signs of life as well, though Piccolo doubted that any civilian would be brave or foolish enough to expose themselves in broad daylight to the alien soldiers around them.  
  
"It all looks the same…" Neptune noted with a depressed tone. Piccolo concurred – the aliens had done a remarkable job of wiping out the entire city in a relatively short time span. He'd seen similar desolation during his brief excursion on Namek – the lifelessness, the eerie silence that accompanied and followed a massacre…it had been one of the most uncomfortable experiences he'd ever been through. And considering the multitudes more of civilians that inhabited Crystal Tokyo, the feeling had to be amplified tenfold with Sailor Neptune.  
  
"This trainer that you spoke of," she asked him. "Is he really as knowledgeable as you say?"  
  
He smiled approvingly – despite her grief, she knew when to put it aside for a greater purpose. Such behavior befitted a good warrior.  
  
"Lord Kaio trained most of our group at one point," Piccolo explained, recalling his own unique experiences on the tiny planetoid. "I just hope your friends are humorous people, or they won't get very far."  
  
Neptune looked totally thrown off by the comment, so Piccolo moved on.  
  
"When we return to the past, I'll ask the Guardian of the Earth to deliver a message to Lord Enma, the ruler of the other side. I'll have him ask for your friends to be admitted to Lord Kaio's world for special training prior to our collecting all of the Dragonballs."  
  
"Setsuna wouldn't approve of further tampering with the time line," Neptune pointed out. "Especially the time line of the afterlife."  
  
"It's the only way for them to be granted an audience with Lord Kaio, and besides, since they'll be revived either way, there shouldn't be much change to the timeline. They'll only be coming back with greater strength and ability than before."  
  
"Is it really that much of an improvement?"  
  
"Even though the powers of your group are different from ours, I'm certain that something can be arranged. The only question I have at this point is what to do to get the rest of you into fighting shape."  
  
"What's the point of me getting into 'fighting shape' if I have you to protect me?" The look in her eyes as she said that startled him a bit, and it must've been visible because she started laughing. "You're too easy to fool, Piccolo. That's one advantage I have over you."  
  
"I'm being serious!" he quickly blurted out. Composing himself, he continued. "Nothing personal, but you're dealing with a much more sophisticated fighting style than magic tricks."  
  
"Magic tricks?" The humor vanished from Sailor Neptune's face; she looked a little insulted. "You haven't even seen us in action yet; it's a bit unfair to judge us on what you don't know."  
  
"Endymion explained enough to me last night about your powers to make some fair assumptions," Piccolo replied. "Believe me; it's going to take a lot more than that to stop these warriors. You have to learn how to beat them at their own game: ki warfare."  
  
"Please, teacher," she mock-asked him. "Educate your ignorant student."  
  
Ignoring the sarcasm, he went on.  
  
"Your life or death cam be determined by whether or not you can put up a quick attack or defense with ki; needless to say, your ki can be more easily utilized than your powers. You may be able to get away with charging a long-winded attack on the grunts out here, but the more powerful soldiers aren't going to wait around while you power up."  
  
Neptune still didn't look convinced; in fact, she looked even more annoyed.  
  
"Nothing personal," she shot back. "But the last thing I'm willing to do is to swap my powers for a karate uniform. You have your own ways of fighting, Piccolo; we have ours. Considering how far our ways have gotten us up until now, I'm hardly looking for any replacements."  
  
Your 'ways' nearly got you reduced to ashes last night. He kept that comment to himself, not wanting to raise any more tension between the two of them. As the flight continued in silence throughout the clear afternoon sky, Piccolo's mind was still churning with ideas. There was no other way around it – Neptune had to learn how fight against ki warfare if she was to be of any substantial use on the battlefield. In conjunction with her current abilities, a little training would go a long way for her.  
  
Necessity is the mother of all invention. He smirked to himself as he cast a glance at her. Piccolo decided that he would convince Sailor Neptune that some new skills were needed, one way or another.  
  
***  
  
Infernia leaned against the doorframe of Archives I-3 as the general pounded away at the keyboard in front of him. He scowled in frustration as the computer's memory banks returned unfavorable results to him.  
  
"No, no, no!!" He smashed the console in with his fists, causing sparks to fly from the ruined data retrieval unit. "Dammit…nothing, nothing at all! How can this be?!"  
  
Infernia smirked, sauntering over to him. The fiery look in Damos's eyes whenever he was enraged was mesmerizing to a degree. She'd seen that same expression in his face during battle countless times before, including the occasion where he'd personally led an undermanned assault on a complex where she and her team had been pinned down by heavily armored shock troopers. He'd saved her life that day…she hadn't looked at him as a general since then, but as an equal, and much, much more.   
  
She laid a hand on his armored shoulder, shaking her head as he glanced with surprise back in her direction.  
  
"Frustrated at something, sir?"  
  
"Infernia!" Damos composed himself, standing up and clearing his throat. "I didn't expect you to be finished filing those reports so early. The neuro-shock took a lot out of you yesterday."  
  
Infernia's stomach tightened, a growl escaping her mouth. True, her head was still pounding after the punishment the general had made her endure after the failure of the capture mission. She had been incensed at first when Damos had sentenced her to go through the torture, but thinking it over had made her realize that her suffering was the fault of those mystery warriors, especially the cursed boy…  
  
Damos looked her over.  
  
"You're the one who seems to have the frustration all of a sudden," he observed, stroking her gold hair with a smile. "You're still not upset at me for performing my own duties yesterday, are you?"  
  
Infernia slammed her fist into the side of the door frame, cracking the metal.  
  
"We had them…we would have had them burned and in ashes if that damn, damn kid hadn't showed up! He ruined everything, my victory, my pleasure in melting the princess into nothing…The next time I see him or any of those bastards, I'm going to tear their intestines out…"  
  
"Calm yourself, fireball," Damos put a hand on the back of her hand, rubbing it softly. Infernia enjoyed it, closing her eyes and letting the anger seep away from her. "You'll have your chance soon…I promise you."  
  
She smiled, turning her head slightly toward him as she heard a small sizzling noise.  
  
"You'll burn your hands doing that," she reminded him, but he shook his head.  
  
"Skin heals itself quickly," he replied, stroking her hair a bit more. "Besides, I need your mind focused here for the moment. I'm doing a bit of research regarding our new friends from the photos you took on your scouter."  
  
"Have you found anything interesting? Are they humans?"  
  
"The one who chased you…" he slowly said, showing her the picture on the pale red monitor. "He bares a striking resemblance to one of my first clients - the king of the Saiyans, Vegeta. I've been trying to run profile matches with some of the more eccentric drifters throughout the galaxy, but so far, I haven't even come close to a match."  
  
"The Saiyans?!" Infernia arched an eyebrow in surprise, staring closely at the armored thug in the monitor. "But the rest of them are dead! The warlord Frieza destroyed the Saiyans ages ago, every last one! Could their king have lived this long?"  
  
Damos shook his head as he studied the picture.  
  
"The facial features and the hair are nearly identical," He said as Infernia clicked on the monitor circuitry, enlarging the image. Though she hadn't taken much of a glance before, this particular fighter looked formidable enough by his figure and intimidating eyes. "But the King Vegeta that I knew all those centuries ago was definitely much larger and more formidable-looking than this person. It could not be him, Infernia – Frieza did indeed murder King Vegeta and the Saiyan race. Whoever this fighter is, he obviously takes after their old ways."  
  
"Perhaps a distant relation of the king's who escaped Frieza's wrath," Infernia ventured. "Could he have seized copies of your genetics testing and perfected the modification on his own?"  
  
"No, I left no existing data left on that planet before I was banished," Damos explained. "If I was going to be exiled from the planet Vegeta, I wasn't about to let my work be replicated by their scientists. As for his relations, King Vegeta did have a son – when I was petitioning for the first experiments on the Saiyans, I saw him. He couldn't have been more than two years old at the time, though his resemblance to his father was nearly unmistakable. But I highly doubt that Frieza let him live either."   
  
"His armor bears such similarities with ours," Infernia noted, scratching her chin. "Though the absence of shoulder-guards would mean he got it from a Rank-Twelve officer or higher."  
  
"And no such official is stationed on the planet besides Bortyx, and his armor is the Horde's black color," Damos mused. A brief silence followed as both warriors pondered the possibilities. Finally, Damos's head jerked upward, his eyes bright. "Wait…didn't you say that a Namek was also among the attacking group?"  
  
"Yes," Infernia nodded. "A Namek, the King Vegeta-look-alike, a doll-type being, and four other humans. Though I can't believe that I actually saw a living Namek warrior. After all, that race has been--"  
  
"Extinct for thousands of years…" Damos finished for her, nodding his head slowly. "I would know; I helped to eradicate the remnant of their kind from this universe. No Namek has a life-span that long. I think I may be on to something here…that may indeed have been King Vegeta's son that chased you out of the battlefield."  
  
Infernia glanced at the general with confusion.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"When I was studying the profile of the Sailor Soldiers that our field scouts had obtained at the onset of the war, I noticed a remarkable attribute of one of them…Sailor Pluto, I believe it was."  
  
"Sailor Pluto…" Infernia tried to recall the name. "Ah, yes; she was the last one that Tridyx slew."  
  
"Perhaps she managed to insert her own handiwork before her demise," Damos hypothesized. "According to the preliminary data on Sailor Pluto, she had the uncanny ability to manipulate time…"  
  
Infernia snuffed.  
  
"I'm surprised that she didn't use the ability to save her friends during our battle. Are you suggesting she brought these warriors here from the Earth's past? If that were the case, how do you account for the presence of the Namek and the supposed Saiyan prince?"  
  
"I don't know, but it's the only viable explanation that I can think of for the moment," Damos replied. He tapped his scouter a few times, opening a link to the Communications. "This is General Damos, priority-one message. Respond."  
  
"This is Communications, sir," The officer at the other end responded. "Relay your message."  
  
"The classified scouter data transmitted to Analysis during the third hour of Shift One yesterday," Damos proceeded. "It is to be uploaded to the banks of all issued scouters at once with all available information regarding the subjects."  
  
"Understood," The officer replied. "Any additional data, sir?"  
  
"Yes, indeed," Damos answered. "A bounty of a fifty percent rations increase and a ten thousand unit increase in pay will go to the soldier who brings me one of these warriors, dead or alive."  
  
"Understood, sir," The officer cut the link; Damos smiled with satisfaction.  
  
"Problem solved, Damos?" Infernia asked. "From the potential power-readouts I received on my scouter from each of those warriors, there's no way a simple infantryman's going to be cashing in on that reward. If Tridyx couldn't defeat one of them…"  
  
"It will be sufficient for now," Damos reassured her. "It will at least give the men some incentive to fight these warriors – no fighter, no matter how strong, can battle higher numbers forever."  
  
He stood up, moving toward the door.  
  
"Would you like to accompany me, fireball?" He offered his hand to her. "I must visit our guest to discuss this matter a bit further. If Sailor Pluto devised this plan, I'm certain that her queen must've had knowledge of it. Perhaps a bit of convincing can enable us to extract some information from her about these warriors."  
  
"It sickens me to look at that pathetic human," Infernia crossed her arms, disgust and revulsion on her face. "You can do well without my presence."  
  
Damos leaned in closer, kissing Infernia on her fiery cheek, surprising her slightly. Usually, he was strict about such orders to his captain – his latest boost in spirit must've been affecting his mentality slightly.  
  
"As much as you may detest it," Damos said softly. "I must insist upon it. You may be the first one to try and convince her first, if you prefer."  
  
Infernia's eyes lit up; she smiled back toward Damos.  
  
"You certainly know how to convince a girl," she teased him. "May I use whatever methods I think of?"  
  
"Just remember, we need her alive, Infernia," Damos stepped aside, allowing her to step through the entranceway. "After you, fireball."  
  
***  
  
Zebus crushed a small rock underneath his boot, his body sore and his mood vile. The neuro-shock treatment wasn't kind to anybody, least of all Trisgammans. Electrical energy of any kind disrupted their cellular structures momentarily, and prolonged exposure to such energy within the torture chamber had given him sensory disorientation for hours afterward.  
  
Damos and Infernia should've counted themselves fortunate that they transferred him back to Earth for recon duty with his counterparts – had he remained aboard the Terror, he probably would've torn their throats out in his rage.  
  
"Come now, brother, do the past day's events still bother you?" Jevor's hissing tone interrupted his frustrations. Technically, Jevor and Barista weren't his brothers, but being the only three Trisgammans left in the universe, it was a title that definitely stuck. "The arrival of those mystery warriors was nothing you could've predicted, so why do you let it wear on your mind?"  
  
Zebus turned back to his fellow Trisgamman. To be honest, he hadn't cared much about the arrival of the new warriors – such things could've been dealt with in time. The punishment dealt to him after their return to the Terror, on the other hand, angered him to no end. Jevor's mentioning of it only served to fuel his rage.  
  
"Cut the eloquence, Jevor," Zebus hissed at him, pounding at a piece of rubble with a meaty fist. "We were cheated of our victory, and I of glory when those fools showed up. And despite the fact that I had no place in the command structure during the ordeal, I was stuck in that damn chamber!"  
  
He shattered the rock with his next blow, the dust from the break hitting him in the face.  
  
Jevor rested a maroon-scaled hand on Zebus's armored shoulder.  
  
"At least your 'commander' got hers as well. Take pride in that, my brother," he reassured him.  
  
Zebus wasn't convinced, his strands of cilia tightened against each other as he spat a mucous ball onto the ground.  
  
"And where did Captain Infernia end up at the night's end?" Zebus grumbled. "Probably back in the general's bedchamber, living it up while I have to deal with the taunts of my 'comrades' in the dredges of the Terror's mess halls. Jevor…we're a laughing-stock in that fleet…"  
  
"Coming from a race that nearly destroyed this fleet all that time ago will do that to us," Jevor nodded, stroking his cilia and rotating his globular eyes. "We were young then…Damos raised us, not expecting us to find out the truth of what he did to our people."  
  
"We were a condition!" Zebus exploded, energizing and launching a ki ball into the air. It exploded in mid-flight as Zebus screamed. "We were part of a payment!! We were given over to Damos along with the bounty for our planet. I can still remember the words of their employer back then when we were first brought aboard the Terror: 'Use them as you please, just make sure they don't breed."  
  
The imposing Barista stood from his position, his scarred eye gleaming in the sunlight.  
  
"Not payment…" His raspy, cracking voice bellowed. "Not slaves…Trisgammans!!!"  
  
Zebus stared at Barista's viciously scarred throat, the result of being on the front lines during an ambush several dozen years ago. His voice and right eye hadn't been the same since.  
  
"Tell that to the general…" Zebus glanced around at the wasteland that had once been Crystal Tokyo. Not much was left of the area, nor were there any life signs around anywhere; with the scouter scan complete, they'd be due back to the Landing Zone to report to Commander Bortyx shortly. "One day, Jevor…one day, I'll get my revenge on that bastard…one day very soon!"  
  
"Revenge can wait, brother, at least until the proper opportunity presents itself," Jevor replied, peering over the horizon and scanning with his scouter. "For now, let's finish our sensor sweep and get out of this wasteland."  
  
But just as Zebus reactivated his scouter, Jevor called both of them.  
  
"Two faint power readings approaching! Prepare to engage!"  
  
The three Trisgammans dropped to the ground and took cover behind the rubble, looking for a surprise attack. But when Zebus spotted the two approaching fliers, he signaled for his counterparts to hold attack, going so far as to grab Jevor's arm as he was charging an energy blast. Zebus recognized them immediately – it was the Namek and the Sailor Soldier he'd nearly killed.  
  
"What are you doing?!" Jevor griped as the two flew past them without noticing. "I had a perfect shot at them!"  
  
Zebus glanced slit-eyed at the passing pair, wondering and thinking. After the battle the previous night, Zebus imagined that all of them would barricade themselves inside the palace and reorganize. But what were these two doing together, way out in the middle of nowhere, away from any kind of support? And where exactly did they think they were going?  
  
"Wait for a moment, Jevor," Zebus let the two pass ahead and out of sight. The scouters still read them though – two faint battle powers at 500 each. He knew better than to trust the machine though – as evidenced by their battle last night, their enemies could alter their powers somehow, fooling the scouters on exact readings. "We're going to follow them and see what they're up to."  
  
"Sailor Soldier," Barista grumbled, confused. "And unknown…why not destroy?"  
  
"I have a feeling that they're up to something…" Zebus motioned for Jevor and Barista and to follow him into the air. "We'll kill them later, but for curiosity's sake, let's find out why our friends are going so far away from their palace. What out in this wasteland could be so important to them?"  
  
"Excellent point, brother," Jevor nodded; he and Barista took to the air, and they flew a good distance behind the Namek and the Sailor Soldier, so as not to be noticed.   
  
It was quite a turn of luck for him – only good things would be in store if they could eliminate a Sailor Soldier and one of the mystery warriors in one fell swoop. Zebus would use the opportunity to release all of his frustrations and negativity on those two, with each ki blast or punch or kick. And when Zebus would finish with them, he would be back to himself again – cunning, eager, and full of guile for whatever lay ahead for him.  
  
He would especially thank the remains of the Sailor Soldier for getting him back on track.  
  
***  
  
ChibiUsa stepped off of the elevator and into the command center, staring around at the bustling activity. Each of the soldiers in the room glanced over at the elevator, acknowledging the presence of the princess and the other remaining Sailor Soldiers with a solemn bow or salute. She returned the gesture, much to the satisfaction of Haruka – learning to become better suited within the command structure had been something the Outer Soldier leader had been teaching her during the war.  
  
She heard the elevator next to theirs open, and five of the six Z Warriors stepped out onto the steel entrance platform overlooking the semi-circular chamber. Vegeta was nowhere to be found among the group, but Tenshinhan and Krillin had given their assurances that the Saiyan prince wasn't too far away, off on his own probably cracking the heads of a few aliens. It had been slightly relieving to hear that he had some animosity toward the alien leader; it ensured that he wouldn't stab them in the back on a whim. Someone of Vegeta's hot temperament seemed to place revenge and personal grudges ahead of petty arrogance.  
  
"Not too bad," Yamcha nodded as he glanced around.  
  
Gohan looked slightly more amazed.  
  
"Incredible…this one room controls all the military forces?"  
  
"It's more of a guiding center, really," Hotaru answered him. "A lot of radio transmissions and updates are cycled through here and reported to the royalty and troop commanders. Think of it as a nerve center."  
  
"Looks a little cramped if you ask me," Krillin grumbled as he glanced around the low-ceiling chamber. Tenshinhan looked to be agreement – the room obviously wasn't built for people with his large, towering frame. As he stepped onto the platform and surveyed the room, his head nearly touched the polished, stainless steel ceiling.  
  
"This place wasn't made to be a lounge," Haruka replied to Krillin. She nodded to ChibiUsa to lead them down the stairs and into the center of the room. Tenshinhan lead the others after them, a few of the passing soldiers glancing curiously at the unique fighters that had come to their aid.  
  
Despite her many frequent visits to the chamber over the recent weeks, she was still amazed at how fluid the information gathering and transfer process went even in the midst of a huge battle. But for all its capabilities, the initial massacres of soldiers and civilians within the city hadn't left much radio traffic to receive, which, despite the more obvious assumption, drove the agents crazy with boredom and uncertainty.  
Most of the communication officers that were assigned to the chamber wanted something to do down beneath all of the action – it was their only means of getting updates to the war occurring above ground. Glancing around at some of them now confirmed this; some of them had taken to chatting lowly amongst themselves, which was unheard of in previous, more exciting days.  
  
The princess led the group to a long, stainless steel table in the center of the room. A large section of the display monitors covering the walls had been devoted to serving the officers usually seated at the table. There were cushioned wooden chairs lining the left and right sides of it, and one larger, ornate chair sat at the head of it. She'd sat there before – only the royalty or head commanders were allowed.  
  
Looking past the towering piece of furniture, ChibiUsa spotted Captain Benson standing nearby, cataloguing something on a notepad. He was so absorbed in his work that he didn't even notice the group approach until ChibiUsa seated herself in the elaborate chair. With her parents absent, she was technically in command of the briefing.  
  
"Ah, Princess, and all of you!" He said with a friendly bow. "King Endymion is off overseeing the refortification of the southern flank. He sends his regards, and he's informed me about the search for these…Dragonballs to revive the others. I'm relieved to hear that such mystic relics exist even in the Old Era."  
  
Chaozu hovered up into the air and glanced at some of the neon-colored maps displayed on several of the monitors.  
  
"We didn't see any soldiers when we were flying in last night."  
  
"We recalled most of them," ChibiUsa explained. "The power of those aliens last night was too great to risk with the standard soldiers. Since the danger has passed, we've reopened the lines surrounding the palace."  
  
"This way, if they attempt another ambush, we'll at least be ready to defend the ground," Haruka finished, inviting the others in the group to take some seats.  
  
"Gohan, you can come and sit next to me if you'd like," ChibiUsa cheerily said. A stern gaze from Haruka stopped that thought. Instantly realizing her mistake, she returned to Gohan. "I, I mean the seat next to Hotaru or Haruka…silly me, I keep forgetting about that rule…"  
  
The boy looked indifferent.  
  
"That's okay, I can stay standing. It doesn't look like there are enough seats to go around for all of us anyway."  
  
"If you insist," Haruka shrugged as the others took their seats. Gohan lifted himself into the air and hovered in place with his legs crossed, getting a clearer look at the monitor. The princess tossed him another glance as she attempted to clear her reddening face. He still seemed oblivious to the pass, which confused her. She would've imagined that he would've caught on at this point. Things hadn't exactly gone well with the tour she was supposed to give him a bit earlier – because of Chaozu and Hotaru's company and their chattering, there hadn't been much time to explore even the first floor.  
  
Ah, well…I'll get my chance later, when I show him another tour…maybe I'll pick tonight during the sunset, it'll be the perfect chance…  
  
"Princess?" Benson's voice interrupted her scheming as he began to discuss with the group. "We're ready to begin."  
  
"O...of course!" she sputtered. "What has been happening since the battle last night?"  
  
Benson tapped a few buttons on a remote, bringing up a flat, overhead map of the palace on the large viewscreen.  
  
"Our remaining scouts have delivered sporadic reports of more enemy reinforcements arriving since four this morning; they've established strong resistance points about ten miles outside the palace in all directions, using many of the ruined buildings and some makeshift campgrounds for cover."  
  
He clicked a few more buttons, and several groups of red blips flashed onto the screen, each of them a short distance from the palace.  
  
"Don't tell me that these are the actual numbers," Krillin chimed in as he studied the screen.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous," Benson replied. "The latest scouting info places each brigade from roughly fifty to eighty enemy units, though more could have accumulated by now. We have fifty of our strongest soldiers assigned to each side of the palace, surrounding it from all sides. With any luck, we should be able to hold the enemy at bay for a while, should they decide to attack. Have all of you decided on a course of action?"  
  
Tenshinhan rose from his chair, clearing his throat and addressing everyone. It looked like a bit of a surprise for his teammates, judging from their expressions.  
  
"From what I can gather, it would be best to refrain from making a direct attack on the enemy until the other Sailor Soldiers have been revived and when we can get a better idea of where we can hit them hardest."  
  
"Where would you imagine we could do that though?" Yamcha asked, looking around at the group. "No offense, but it's not like these guys have any kind of obvious weakness to exploit; I'd say that our best bet is going after one of those troop-carrying ships you guys mentioned earlier."  
  
"Indeed," Haruka nodded. "But that would require a good amount of navigation and battling over something that's not a definite guarantee. Even if we managed to capture or sneak aboard one of the ships, we still wouldn't know what kind of opposition to expect aboard their supposed fleet."  
  
"Not to mention that it would leave a great deal of the palace exposed to an encroaching enemy force. Maybe we should just stick to getting these guys off our backs first," Tenshinhan suggested. "If we can drive them away from the palace, we can get some breathing room to work with."  
  
"Not a bad idea…" ChibiUsa mused thoughtfully. "Driving away a few of the hordes away may only increase their tenacity even further, but I would say that it's better than standing around waiting for them to smother us."  
  
"I suppose you'll be doing this yourself then, Tenshinhan?" Haruka objected as she stood up, a commanding heir about her. "We don't have the resources or morale among the soldiers to launch that kind of campaign. It would be too risky even with back-up to launch an attack on a heavily fortified enemy embankment."  
  
"Who said we needed back-up?" Yamcha retorted. "We've handled much worse than those losers out there. We must've dropped at least twenty last night during our excursion. Clearing out a few of those strongholds won't be a problem."  
  
"How confident…we could very well be walking into a deathtrap if we assault those outposts directly! Who is to say that they don't have a few surprises of their own inside those entrenchments?" Haruka said with obvious annoyance.  
  
"What would you suggest that we do then, Haruka?" Captain Benson inquired.  
  
"Obtain information, scout out the areas for possible weaknesses before we directly attack," she replied. "Knowing a bit about our enemies before flying headstrong into them would give us more of an edge, increasing our chances of victory."  
  
"I would be inclined to agree," Hotaru said, albeit softly, in her low-key manner as always. "We've seen these aliens coordinate powerful strikes with extreme precision; they would be too well prepared to be taken down by only a few of us."   
  
"But we can't just sit on our hands either," Krillin noted. "If we stand around too long collecting data and not acting, it might make them think that we're weak enough to take down."  
  
"It falls to the princess then," Benson nodded toward ChibiUsa, whose shoulders sagged. She was hoping this wouldn't happen, especially over so delicate an issue. But as the royalty, she would have final say in the decision-making. "What sort of action shall we take, my lady?"  
  
She massaged one of her temples, debating furiously in her mind. Both ideas seemed viable to an extent, yet they both had a few possible flaws to them. She hated uncertainty in this sort of situation…  
  
Her musings were cut short as one of the communication officers came rushing over to Captain Benson.  
  
"The western flank has fallen under attack; they're taking heavy fire!" he hurriedly told him.  
  
"What…?! How many units?" The captain was taken aback by the report, but he nevertheless remained in control of himself and hurried over to the workstation of the flushed officer. ChibiUsa leaped out of her chair and joined them, her comrades close behind. She spotted a miniaturized version of the map they were just gazing at on the officer's monitor, indicating a breach on the western end of the palace.   
  
"Uncertain, sir, thirty on the ground at least, several more attacking from the air. We've lost radio contact with the commanders."  
  
"What was their latest status report?"  
  
"It wasn't clear, though all indications point to an ambush along the minor ridge that separated the northern and western garrisons. Both battalions have been thrown into confusion because of the attack. The last spurt of static said that they were pinned down, taking casualties."  
  
"Dammit…" Benson shook his head. "Put all garrisons on alert, but inform the northern squads to hold their positions. We can't risk splitting our defenses and allowing an opening at the palace gates. They've got to hold their ground…"  
  
This is my cue, I suppose. ChibiUsa clutched her locket tightly in her hand, turning toward Hotaru and Haruka.   
  
"Come on, we've got to reinforce them!" The two nodded approvingly toward her bravado, Haruka drawing out her transformation stick.   
  
"I've been waiting for this…" Haruka muttered as the trio charged back toward the elevators. Before anyone else could say a word, they were into the right-hand lift and on their way back to the surface.  
  
"At least thirty units, you guys," ChibiUsa glanced back at the two of them. "Think we can handle all of them?"  
  
"Well, those senzu beans have revitalized our strength completely," Hotaru noted. "I've felt better than I did even before this whole war began. I'd say we have a good chance of winning!"  
  
"Need you mention that, Hotaru?" Haruka said with irritation; ChibiUsa chuckled at her pride rearing itself again. "Either way, I just hope we can count on our partners for help…"  
  
"Relax, Haruka," The princess reassured her. "If we get into trouble, they'll be there to bail us out, especially Gohan."  
  
"I hope your intuition is right…"  
  
"Moon Crystal Power!!"  
  
***  
  
"Reckless fools!" Tenshinhan shouted as the doors to the elevator closed. "Captain, what's the fastest route to the western garrison?"  
  
"Take the spare elevator to the surface and follow the hall left and to the end," he answered, throwing on a headset. "You should find a security door on the way there; you could probably fly straight out to the conflict zone from there. I'll stay here and attempt to reestablish radio contact with the lines."  
  
"Let's go!" Tenshinhan was the first one up the stairs and onto the lift; the others followed close behind him. He hit the transport controls rapidly as the heavy steel doors slowly slid closed. The motors thrummed to life, carrying the armored lift up to the palace grounds. He still couldn't believe it – how could those three hope to defeat an entire battalion of enemies? It was insanity…did no rationality exist within their skulls?  
  
"I've never seen you so forceful before, Ten," Chaozu hovered up next him, drawing his tense mind away from the Sailor Soldiers' boldness. "Is everything okay?"  
  
Tenshinhan smiled back at his old friend, silently agreeing with his statement about his new leadership prowess.  
  
"Someone has to take charge," he replied. "Being backed against the wall is one thing, but being backed against the wall without a plan is even worse."  
  
"Well said," Yamcha punched him in the shoulder. "I'd trust your instincts in a heartbeat, Ten."  
  
"Just stay focused on the fight and not our teammates and I'll be glad to lead you, Yamcha," he responded. "That goes for you too, Krillin."  
  
"Err, right, Ten; I don't know what you could be talking about…" Krillin laughed as he primed himself. "So, how exactly are we going to go about this? None of us ever had to deal with a free-for-all sort of situation before."  
  
"The best we can, Krillin," Gohan nodded. "We've all got a sense for ki, right? All we've got to do is stay alert and be quick about taking them out, and we'll win easily!"  
  
"Just like your dad," Krillin replied. "Making it sound so easy…"  
  
"Well, let's get some kind of strategy anyhow," Tenshinhan suggested. "Chaozu, Krillin, would you mind assisting me and taking out some of the aerial fighters?"  
  
"Wherever you go, I'll be right behind you, Ten," Chaozu nodded.  
  
"If it keeps me from getting mauled on the ground," Krillin replied. "Besides, a good Taiyoken technique could stop them easily."  
  
"Exactly," Tenshinhan agreed as the elevator slid to a halt. As soon as the steel doors opened, all of them were off at super speed, zipping past palace attendants and wandering guards at the speed of light. Moments later, Tenshinhan spotted the Sailor Soldiers just about to exit the side door that Benson had mentioned. They were all in their battle garb – though how that was possible, he didn't know – and they were all somewhat surprised as the five Z Warriors appeared in front of them, seemingly out of thin air to their eyes. ChibiMoon was so caught off-guard that she yelped and fell over to the ground, her eyes wide.  
  
"Leaving without us?" Yamcha inquired, powering himself up.  
  
"Not at all," Sailor Uranus kicked the heavy door open, letting sunlight spill into the hall way as she surveyed the horizon. The defense wall wasn't far from their position, and a bit further beyond it, Tenshinhan was able to spot ki beams flashing near a series of dilapidated buildings bordering the ruined city. "Good, the defenses are still holding."  
  
"Then what are we waiting for?" Krillin shoved past all of them and soared upward at a high rate of speed toward the battlefield, Yamcha close behind him.  
  
"Hey!! Hold on a second!" Uranus called after them, causing the two to stop in mid-flight. "Aren't you guys forgetting something? The three of us aren't as capable in the air as the five of you are!"  
  
"Then we'll have to improvise," Tenshinhan nodded, finding no alternative with time of the essence. Uranus was probably going to hate him for it though. "We'll have to carry you guys there if we want to make it in time. Gohan, Yamcha, think you guys can lend me a hand?"  
  
ChibiMoon looked ecstatic at the idea of being carried by Gohan, immediately agreeing to the idea. Tenshinhan rolled his eyes at that – why was it that even ten centuries after their era had passed, women still had to act so strangely around men? Hotaru also let Yamcha take her around the waist and lift off with her in tow, though she acted much more sensible about it than her counterpart. After securing the two Sailor Soldiers, Gohan and Yamcha were off with Krillin following close behind. Chaozu remained behind, waiting for Tenshinhan. Uranus, however, vehemently opposed the idea.   
  
"Absolutely not! I'd rather fly to the battlefield myself than be towed there like a piece of baggage!"  
  
Tenshinhan sighed to himself.  
  
"Sorry, Sailor Uranus, but we don't have time for this," Speeding around behind her, Tenshinhan wrapped his arms around her waist and rocketed into the air with Chaozu behind him. He sped off as quickly as possible, Uranus squirming all the while.  
  
"Hey!! Put me down, Tenshinhan!! I order you to take me down and let me get there myself! I swear I'm going to tear that third eye out once we get there!!"  
  
Thankfully, Chaozu was able to freeze her body in place with his psychic abilities to spare Tenshinhan any more aches and bruises. She gave him no further trouble during the flight, but he suddenly remembered Piccolo's last piece of advice.  
  
"Good luck…" He muttered to himself as he observed the anger on Sailor Uranus's face. "Am I sure going to need it…"  
  
***  
  
Stupid, stupid, stupid… Vegeta shook his head as he monitored the battle from high atop one of Crystal Tokyo's smaller towers. Entrenched within the walls of their ruined city, the humans were indeed holding their own against their assailants, and Vegeta could understand why. From what he could tell by his senses, the home forces outnumbered their enemies by a significant amount. On the few streets where the fight was occurring, the structures were damaged somewhat, but they remained intact, providing ample cover from any aerial assaults. Vegeta had nearly laughed at the blunder in strategic planning – someone had obviously been a tad overzealous on the enemy side, and while they may've caught the sword-wielders in an ambush, there was certainly room for the humans to recover and beat back their attackers on the ground.  
  
Below, he spotted the Silver Millennium brats and their hires taking off for the battlefield, obviously to provide assistance to their comrades. Vegeta let out a light chuckle; it would be interesting to witness the combination of both forces in battle. And despite the scanter battle powers of Kakarotto's son and the others, they would make Sailor Uranus and her two companions look weaker than they already were.  
  
As the group sped rapidly toward the fight, Vegeta shrugged his shoulders, lifting himself into the air. With the assistance of their forces, the alien besiegers would have no chance of victory – he decided to entertain himself by watching the team in action against hardened warriors. He only hoped that this sort of blundering wasn't all that Damos was capable of.  
  
It still seemed too surreal that Damos would be alive after so many centuries, but Vegeta was certain that the coordinator of this assault on Earth was him – the evidence was too strong to point elsewhere, and only someone as foolish as Damos would even tamper with the idea of genetic longevity.  
  
"I only hope I get the chance to duel with you before this conflict ends," he said to himself as he casually floated toward the battlefield. "Whatever the Saiyans before me didn't finish, I certainly will."  
  
***  
  
"Not a moment too soon…" Gohan heard Sailor ChibiMoon mutter as they reached the strip of road that served as one of the combat zones. They dropped down onto the rooftop of a small store, ducking down and observing the action below them.  
  
The road was thin, limiting movement from the figures below them, and various pieces of rubble were scattered over the area. Below them, Gohan spotted several Crystal Tokyo soldiers locked in combat with armored mercenaries. The larger ones were clashing fist and sword with some of the aliens in the streets, fighting mostly to stalemates. Other Crystal Tokyo soldiers were taking cover inside the buildings to dodge incoming ki beams from flying or gun-wielding soldiers that were scattered around the sidewalks.  
  
"A lot like Frieza's soldiers, alright…" Gohan remarked as he studied their unsuspecting enemies. Glancing upward, he spotted several aerial soldiers descending from above. "Look out!"  
  
Gohan snared ChibiMoon by her arm and literally jerked her off the ground and away from a barrage of ki beams that exploded against the roof, taking several chunks out of it. The impact threw Gohan onto his back, ChibiMoon falling on top of him. As she found herself staring eye to eye with the young Saiyan hybrid, she quickly jumped to her feet.  
  
"Ah! Err, thank you, Gohan!" she covered her face with her gloved hands, her skin turning red. "That was a close call…"  
  
Gohan hurried over to the edge of the roof with her, the fliers swooping away for another pass. The sweep of ki blasts had been absorbed by most of the surrounding architecture, but several of the sword-wielders on the street had been downed by the aerial attackers, allowing the mercenaries a free charge across the street toward the hiding area for the besieged soldiers.  
  
"ChibiMoon, let's dive on them, surprise them from above!" Gohan suggested brightly.  
  
"Huh? You mean, jump on them from way up here?" She peered over the edge of the roof. It wasn't long drop by any means compared to what she was used to recently, but it was enough to make her legs wobbly again.  
  
"Yeah, we'll take them completely by surprise!" Gohan convinces her, grabbing her hand and diving over the edge of the roof.  
  
"Gohan, wait a minute, wahh!!!!" She screamed as she flew over the edge of the rooftop toward the advancing mob. "Let go of my arm, I can fly from here!"  
  
Gohan obliged, suspending himself in mid-air and raising both arms above his head.  
  
"Masenko....HAA!!!" A reddish-gold ki beam exploded from his hands, slamming into several of the charging mercenaries on the right flank. Most of them flew backwards into the ground and impacted into the walls of buildings across the street. Gohan pumped his arm, proud of his handiwork.  
  
ChibiMoon had fallen for several more feet before she'd apparently let gravity take its course. Gohan was at first afraid that she wasn't able to fly correctly, but as she extended she leg and charged a bit of energy into it, he spotted her attack.  
  
"Sailor ChibiMoon Kick!!" She slammed the heel of her boot into the jaw of one of the larger mercenaries, sending him bowling into several of his comrades. As she dropped down to the ground, much of the advancing mob had been thrown into disarray, allowing the Crystal Tokyo soldiers to emerge from their entrenchments and make a counter-attack. Gohan dropped down, roundhousing an unsuspecting alien from behind and uppercutting a gun-toting grunt that was too close. ChibiMoon appeared next to him, holding up a small scepter in the direction of a groggy mercenary.  
  
"ChibiMoon….Pink Sugar Heart Attack!!" At her command, a stream of hollow pink hearts flew from the orb of the scepter, pounding the alien in the chest. Gohan stared in a brief moment of confusion at the attack, which seemed to be doing nothing more than irritating the alien, who was attempting to swat away the small hearts as if they were mosquitoes. "Oh, no, it's not working!"  
  
Before the burly alien could recover, Gohan leapt forward and cracked the alien in the jaw with a flying kick, shattering the bone on impact and sending the alien flying backward onto the ground, motionless.  
  
ChibiMoon sheepishly looked at her scepter.  
  
"Well, I, uh," She stammered. "It was a fluke! It's usually a lot stronger than that!"  
  
Gohan just looked at her, more confused than ever. He'd sensed nearly zero energy emanating from the attack, and besides that, it just didn't even look threatening from even his perspective. It was just a stream of pink hearts!  
  
By this point, the Crystal Tokyo soldiers had crossed the street in force, relentlessly attacking and hacking at the surviving aliens. Their steel swords, though primitive against the ki techniques the alien soldiers were using, were strong enough to pierce the armor protecting their enemies, and with the added momentum, most of the aliens were left dead in a matter of half a minute.  
  
As the last of the mercenaries fell and the Crystal Tokyo soldiers thanked the princess and her escort for their help, Gohan spotted Yamcha and Sailor Saturn dashing forward from the west end of the street, each of them with urgent looks on their faces. Gohan and Sailor ChibiMoon were quick to hurry over to them.  
  
"They're getting overrun over there!" Yamcha announced as the four met. "We're going to need all the help we can get."  
  
"The bulk of the soldiers are entrenched inside the industrial complex further up the way," Saturn continued as she held up her glaive, the end of it covered in blood. "Tenshinhan, Krillin, and Chaozu are taking care of the ones in the air, but they're about to storm the area unless we give them some back up."  
  
"What about Sailor Uranus?" ChibiMoon worriedly asked.  
  
"I only caught a glimpse of her, but she chose to try to dissipate the masses with some of her attacks," Saturn explained. "And she seemed awfully upset at Tenshinhan and Choazu when they landed for some reason."  
  
"In any event, we should clear the road for them, wouldn't you agree, Gohan?" Yamcha smirked, charging a white field of energy around his body. "After all, that's what we're here for, right?"  
  
Gohan nodded firmly, and the foursome hurried back the way Saturn and Yamcha had come from. Gohan motioned for Yamcha to slow up a bit to keep the Sailor Soldiers from falling behind.   
  
"ChibiMoon, were you okay back there?" Gohan asked during their flight. "That attack of yours didn't seem too effective."  
  
"Err, well, it's kind of selective sometimes, but I can keep it under control from now on!" She stammered in response. "It's kind of hairy out here. I'm not used to this…"  
  
"Don't worry, just use your senses!" Gohan suggested matter-of-factly.  
  
"Senses…?" ChibiMoon replied uneasily.  
  
"Yeah, sense for the enemy's ki and you'll know where they're coming at you! It's easy; we do it all the time whenever we fight."  
  
"Err…yeah, THOSE senses, of course! Where's my head at today…" She absently said, laughing it off.  
  
"Up...in the clouds, like always…!" Saturn laughed through panting as she hurried to keep up with them.   
  
"Saturn?" Gohan ran alongside her. "Are you okay? You look a little faint."  
  
"Faint, me?" Saturn replied, stumbling a bit in her steps. "I'm just not used to this much running…I'm not much of an endurance athlete, as you might say."  
  
"It's okay; I'll give you a hand!" Gohan powered himself for flight and snared Sailor Saturn by the waist, picking her up and flaring up the road.  
  
"Hey! Gohan, this isn't necessary, I can make it!" Saturn reacted with surprise, nearly dropping her glaive as Gohan soared upward a bit with her in tow. "I'm not used to this sort of treat--, err, transportation!"  
  
Gohan clutched onto Saturn's waist tightly, soaring forward and hoping they would be in time to assist Sailor Uranus.  
  
***  
  
Hey, what is she thinking…?! ChibiMoon glared after Saturn as Gohan flew forward with her, holding onto her tightly. How dare she try to butt in on my catch!! It was just like today when I wanted to show him the palace…that little…  
  
Yamcha called back to her, breaking her focus.  
  
"ChibiMoon, you comfortable with high-speed flying?" he asked as he backflipped behind her and proceeded to airlift her to the battle site. "We'll get there quicker at this rate."  
  
ChibiMoon squirmed uncomfortably at first, but relaxed eventually as she focused on the upcoming battle and she was going to use those 'senses' that Gohan had been talking about. She had to admit that Yamcha wasn't bad either – she would've probably gone for him out of the rest had she not had her eyes set on Gohan – but she still glanced over in Saturn's direction with fury.  
  
She's blushing! How could she?! She fumed, nearly visibly. Gohan is my catch, not hers! Oh, she will pay, how she will pay…  
  
***  
  
"Uranus….Space Sword Blaster!!"  
  
The arc of energy from the Space Sword ripped through the lines of mercenaries charging in her direction, fatally piercing several and wounding a few others. It was merely a distraction at this point however – she could spot twenty more enemies descending from the sky onto her location. Her sword arm was getting weary, and the Crystal Tokyo Special Forces were being worn down as the enemies were encroaching all around them. The tightness of the area had limited the number of attacks from the air, but the ferocity of the ground forces had more than compensated for it. Several minutes more and she wasn't sure if they could hold the line.  
  
"Kamehameha!!"  
  
"Dodompa Ray!!"  
  
Two brilliant beams of energy – one a dazzling blue and the other a fiery red – descended from the sky and literally blew the approaching fliers out of the sky, sending them spiraling downward into the streets below. Uranus glanced upward and spotted Krillin and Chaozu keenly guarding the skies, moving to engage a few surviving aerial soldiers that had evaded their notice.  
  
"Cover your eyes!!!" A powerful voice from above commanded to the Crystal Tokyo Special Forces below them. Felling another weaker alien with her Space Sword, Uranus shot her gaze toward the voice's source. She spotted Tenshinhan floating directly in front of the sun, his hands in a triangle formation. For some reason, the sun seemed to be getting brighter all of a sudden. It was then that Sailor Uranus realized what Tenshinhan was doing.  
  
He's amplifying the sun's rays. What's he--?  
  
"Taiyoken!!" Sailor Uranus dove down as an immense beam of sunlight shot down from the sky. From the positioning of the Crystal Tokyo Special Forces, they were mostly hit with the back of the beam; the enemies took the impact full force.  
  
"Aggghh!!!"  
  
"The light!!!!"  
  
"Ahhh, my eyes!!!"  
  
He's blinded them!  
  
Seizing the opportunity, Uranus motioned to the defending soldiers, who were wisely shielding their eyes from the brunt of the beam.  
  
"Forward!!"  
  
Uranus led the charge, and the dozens of surviving Crystal Tokyo soldiers who'd been previously been backed against the wall dashed forward with rage toward their vulnerable enemies, hacking and stabbing with their swords at the enemies' armor and exposed limbs and heads. Uranus launched a World Shaking and Space Sword Blaster attack that cleared the field down the right flank. Before she knew it, they were turning the enemy back, the blinded mercenaries in full retreat from the small complex, some taking to the skies and others fleeing across the street into the neighboring buildings.  
  
Uranus smiled with satisfaction as she glanced at the retreating enemies. Those that took to the skies were promptly met by Krillin, Chaozu, and Tenshinhan, who almost effortlessly slammed them down to earth with powerful punching and kicking combinations.   
  
I can't let any of them escape…! She led her force out into the street in pursuit of the ones who'd taken the ground road for retreat, but as they reached the middle of the road, she called them off – the few who'd managed to slip away had been intercepted by Yamcha, Gohan, Saturn, and ChibiMoon, who were dispatching the vulnerable aliens easily. Before long, the Crystal Tokyo soldiers and their allies were the only living fighters on the road.  
  
"We're victorious! We've won!"  
  
"They're all gone! I can't believe it!"  
  
Uranus couldn't believe it either, but as she glanced around at the celebrating soldiers and at the multitude of dead alien mercenaries, she was forced to accept it – the powers of the Z Warriors mixed with their own powers had turned the tide in the fight, and thanks largely to them, the western flank would hold.  
  
Weary from the battle, she walked over to Sailor ChibiMoon and the others.  
  
"Having fun?" Gohan joked as he took in a deep breath. Uranus grumbled under her breath – Gohan and Yamcha weren't so much as out of breath, even after battling the fleeing soldiers.  
  
"What about in the other direction?" she asked.  
  
"All taken care of!" ChibiMoon proudly reported, sauntering closely to the Saiyan hybrid. "Thanks to Gohan!"  
  
"Thanks to him?" Sailor Uranus stared at the boy in disbelief. "How?"  
  
"Yep!" ChibiMoon stared at him almost dreamily. "He took out at least a dozen with one blast! After we attacked them, we gave the soldiers enough time to recover and attack!"  
  
"A dozen…?" Uranus glanced at Gohan, dumbfounded.  
  
"Well, I'd say more like fourteen or sixteen, maybe," he answered nonchalantly. Uranus felt her pride sinking. It took at least three powerful attacks from her to defeat that many enemies and it had taken a lot out of her in the process. How strong was a kid who could do that without any effort?  
  
Saturn didn't look too convinced of a total victory as she glanced around at the bodies.  
  
"All of these guys are foot soldiers, though," she noted. "Who could've given the order to attack the western garrison?"  
  
"It wouldn't make much sense to attack only one section of the palace without assailing the others," Uranus hypothesized. "Maybe a member of the command structure around here got a bit eager?"  
  
"Could be," Yamcha agreed. "I'd imagine that a commander for these guys must be close by…Gohan, let's split up and scan for hidden energy signatures. I'll go and tell the others in the air."  
  
"Got it! Do you guys want to come with me?" Gohan offered to the remaining Sailor Soldiers as Yamcha took off.   
  
"I'll be supervising the soldiers out here," Uranus declined, motioning back to the still-celebrating Crystal Tokyo Special Forces. "If the three of you go, be careful. Try not to get ambushed by surviving enemies."  
  
"Don't worry, Uranus! As long as Gohan's here, he'll protect us!" ChibiMoon cheerily replied. "Come on, Saturn!"  
  
"ChibiMoon…" She lightly shook her head, but held up her glaive. "Alright, let's go searching. Oh, and we'll walk this time, Gohan, thank you very much."  
  
The joke made Gohan's face turn red in embarrassment in front of Sailor Uranus, and he chuckled a bit as he hurried along the way, the two Sailor Soldiers close behind him.  
  
Uranus rolled her eyes, wondering what Saturn had meant by that by that remark. Before she could go back to calm the raucous soldiers, Tenshinhan dropped down next to her, still looking full of vigor.  
  
"The first of many victories." He greeted her.  
  
"Hopefully," Uranus nodded back toward him. "That was an impressive technique you executed back there. I nearly didn't see it coming."  
  
"Thanks, it's called the Taiyoken," Tenshinhan explained. "But I wanted to congratulate you as well; your fighting skills and prowess back there were very commendable."  
  
"It's what I'm trained to do."  
  
"I was impressed all the same…commander," He extended his hand toward hers.  
  
Commander? She hadn't expected that amount of respect out of him despite his well-mannered and proper nature. And as she glanced up at Tenshinhan's face, she saw sincerity, and a willingness to give her respect in exchange for earning some from her.  
  
"Thanks…Tenshinhan," She shook his hand, smiling toward her ally. "By the way…sorry about your jaw earlier."  
  
Tenshinhan chuckled a bit, rubbing a sore spot on his left jaw.   
  
"Don't mention it," he smiled. "I'll just have to let Yamcha carry you from battle to battle from now on!"  
  
Despite his effort, Sailor Uranus didn't see the humor.  
  
***  
  
Piccolo tossed the body of another soldier away as Sailor Neptune launched a Deep Submerge attack that effectively finished the remaining squad of gun-toters. It was strange; they hadn't encountered such technology from the alien mercenaries as of yet. The energy-firing guns seemed to be connected to an armored pack on their back, probably some kind of generator. Either way, the more rapid-fire style of energy attacks had nearly caught her off-guard when they first engaged the soldiers guarding the closed time portal. Were it not for her agility and reflexes, she would've been roasted alive by the beams.  
  
"That looks like all of them," Piccolo said as he glanced around. He lifted up the body of one soldier whose head he'd blown off with a powerful ki blast. He glanced at the marking of the white over-garment that the alien was wearing. "Looks like some kind of science team. The scouters they were wearing looked somewhat more advanced as well."  
  
Is there nothing that slips his attention? Neptune mused as she scanned the area for any signs of life. There were no civilians so far outside of the palace, but the enemies had apparently discovered the sealed time gate and sent several squads of soldiers to keep watch over it and do a bit of research on whatever it was. Fortunately, as she observed the floating crimson orb, it didn't look like they'd been able to open it up.  
  
"It's not safe for this to be left here out in the open," She said as she and Piccolo faced the silent time gate.   
  
"Could they get this open if they tried?" Piccolo asked.  
  
"It's doubtful," Neptune replied as she began letting energy flow through her. Piccolo stepped back as her body began to glow a deep turquoise shade. "I don't think these monsters have the holy power necessary to energize Sailor Pluto's time gates. I don't even think that your power is pure enough to open this portal."  
  
She let the energy flow out of her body, surrounding the time portal with the same incandescent haze. Closing her eyes and focusing on the silent orb, she released all of the energy from her body, and when she opened up her eyes once again, the orb had expanded into a vertical swirling disk of energy, discharging thunderbolts around it as it awaited the entrance of the two warriors.  
  
"Not bad," Piccolo nodded approvingly. "How long will this stay open after we go through?"  
  
"Not for too long," Neptune said as she stepped towards it. "We've taken care of all of the enemies within the area as far as I can tell, unless your 'senses' tell differently."  
  
Piccolo smirked at that.  
  
"Nothing's here that I can detect," he answered, motioning toward the portal with his arm. "And if I can't sense it, I doubt that it's around here. Ladies first, Sailor Neptune."  
  
"Thank you, teacher," she teased him as she stepped through the portal.  
  
Next stop, the Old Era…  
  
***  
  
"By the Pit…they've murdered nearly twenty soldiers by themselves! Remarkable!" Jevor noted as he observed the carnage surrounding them. Zebus had to concur – they'd witnessed the ambush, and none of the patrolling officers had seen it coming.   
  
The Namek had deftly eliminated several of the soldiers patrolling farthest away from the odd crimson anomaly on the hill, and the Sailor Soldier had followed up by attacking the remaining scientists from behind, thoroughly eradicating them with a few of her magic attacks. Before Zebus could count the fatalities, the entire field had been cleared and the two attackers had somehow transformed the anomaly into some sort of gateway.  
  
"What…?" Barista's rumbling voice inquired as the three Trisgammans watched from the second level of a nearby building. "Unusual…"  
  
"Indeed…" Jevor stepped away from the window, deactivating his scouter. "I managed to catch some of the conversation. That little crimson sphere, disk, or whatever is some kind of timewarp."  
  
Zebus scratched his chin, watching the two warriors converse in front of the floating disk.  
  
"It does make sense," He nodded, leading his two comrades down the stairwell that let out on the bottom level. "Nameks have been dead for centuries. If the Crystal Tokyo soldiers wanted to fetch a Namek warrior for their aid, a time portal would be an ideal solution…but why return at this point?"  
  
"Indeed," Jevor agreed as the trio stepped out into the afternoon sun. The Namek warrior was vanishing into the disk after his comrade, and the portal remained open even after his entry. The energy that the Sailor Soldier had used to open it was still active according to Zebus's scouter, and it would be for another minute or so at the least. "And why would the Sailor Soldier follow the Namek? Could she be deserting?"  
  
"Doubtful," Zebus muttered. "This was the same one who returned alone to the battle last night despite there being no chance of victory. Believe me, that one is too fiery to understand desertion."  
  
"Follow…..destroy?" Barista suggested as he moved toward the disk.  
  
"I would say so; let's at least see where they're going and find out why," Zebus suggested. "Let's leave enough time for them to get moving on the other side, and we'll be right behind them undetected!"  
  
Allowing the energy powering the portal to dissipate a bit further, the three Trisgammans finally rushed inside, swept away from the ruined city and into the crimson haze of the time gate, tumbling through the darkness toward whatever time period awaited them.  
  
***  
  
Kami had meditated and pondered long and hard about the current situation occurring in the future. Considering the unstable make-up of the time stream, he supposed that almost anything was possible. But as his uncertainty had prevailed over his mind over the past day, Kami had decided to tend to the shrine to alleviate his weary mind.  
  
The last thing he expected, however, was to see Piccolo and one of the Sailor Soldiers descending from the steps of the shrine, where the time portal still rested. Standing from his work in the flora patches, Kami rushed over to the pair to see if he was hallucinating. Piccolo's deep tone proved that he wasn't.  
  
"Kami, it's good to see you."  
  
"Piccolo? What has happened? Have you achieved victory?"  
  
"No time to explain, old man," Piccolo cut him off as he glanced at his companion. "I have a favor to ask."  
  
***  
  
"Checkmate," Sailor Mercury said to Sailor Venus as she closed the virtual projector on her visor. The holographic chess board vanished from sight, and Sailor Venus sighed in exasperation. "That's twenty games in a row, Venus. Are you ready to take a break?"  
  
"I give up, Ami," She smiled as she shook her comrade's hand. "I've tried every trick that I could think of and I still couldn't even force a stalemate."  
  
Pluto smiled as she sat cross-legged on the long line. It was only about a quarter mile to go until they reached the Seat of Judgment, though while Pluto was able to last the excruciatingly long wait, Jupiter looked about ready to throw herself off of the bridge. She'd been pacing back and forth for about two hours straight, wringing her hair and sighing heavily.  
  
"Two more hours and I'm going to…" Jupiter muttered.  
  
"Kill yourself?" Mars joked as she ceased her meditations momentarily. "Jupiter, we are dead after all…"  
  
"Need you remind me, Rei?" Jupiter dropped down, shaking her head as she tried desperately to find something to do to overcome the boredom. "Maybe this is my punishment, or part of it anyway."  
  
"Excuse me, Sailor Pluto?" One of the armored cloud-riders that had been guarding them since Jupiter and Venus's little fighting incident called over to her. She turned her head in his direction, wondering what was going on now.  
  
"Yes?" She answered, standing as the cloud-rider floated over to her.  
  
"We just received a message from the Judgment Seat," He informed her. "It took them a while to dig it up out of the archives, but you apparently have a special summons receipt from over ten centuries ago. You're to be taken there immediately."  
  
"Excuse me?" Pluto was dumbstruck. "Ten centuries ago?"  
  
"Indeed," The cloud-rider nodded. "If you can inform your comrades and follow me toward the front of the line, we can get this all straightened out." 


	13. Knowledge of the Masters

Author's Note: Whoa, guess it's been a while. Welcome back, for those of you who're still here. I really apologize for the overly extensive wait, but sometimes life gets in the way of things, and more important issues have kept me occupied for the past several months. Things have mellowed out now, and I'll be updating a bit more frequently.  
  
Chapter 13: Knowledge of the Masters  
  
"Fabulous..." Sailor Neptune peered over the edge of the Sanctuary, staring with wonder at the endless expense of sky all around them. She couldn't imagine how far up in the air they were - the thick bank of clouds hovering beneath the spherical underbelly of the Sanctuary blocked out any nearby land masses. Strangely, the air quality of the Earth Guardian's lookout wasn't as thin as she would've expected for so high an altitude. Neptune was thankful for it.  
  
Piccolo was standing a short distance away in silence, anxiously awaiting the return of the elder Earth Guardian. Kami had departed from the dimensional plane a good fifteen minutes ago to convince the Keeper of the Dead of their plan to send the deceased Sailor Soldiers of the thirtieth century to train under Lord Kaio. It had to be an unusual request even for the gods there - they would be holding the message for the Sailor Soldiers for nearly ten centuries if they performed the favor. Neptune wondered if they would even remember the message after so long a time. But the face of the Earth guardian had been kindly and understanding - he'd told her that he possessed a strong standing with the Keeper of the Dead, and he was certain that he could pull it off with a bit of convincing.  
  
Sailor Neptune had been, needless to say, surprised when Kami had explained the relationship between he and Piccolo - knowing that her partner was the evil half of one being made her a bit skittish inside. On the other hand, it did explain a lot of Piccolo's mannerisms - the humorless façade, his rigid demeanor about every order of business, and his silent focus on becoming so powerful a warrior. However, Neptune mentally decided that Haruka, Endymion, and the others could've been better served without knowing Piccolo's origins.  
  
The short, pudgy servant smiled warmly over at her as Neptune continued to take in the incredible surroundings. His round eyes reflected humility and a love for simple things, and judging from his amused reaction to her astonishment, he'd been living with the Earth Guardian for quite some time.  
  
"How long has this place existed?" She wondered as a strong breeze swept over the lookout. "Incredible..."  
  
"The view never gets old, no matter how often I look over the edge of this sanctuary," Popo told her. "As long I tend to this place, Kami grants me whatever privileges I require."  
  
Popo had certainly done a tremendous job in that regard - the delicate, colorful flowers and healthy trees lining the gleaming tiles of the sanctuary provided a serene atmosphere to the sacred place. It possessed a feeling of welcome and rest from the trials of daily life - perhaps that was why it was placed so far out of reach from the world at large.  
  
A sudden flash of light from the steps of the shrine attracted Neptune's attention, and seconds later, the form of Kami rematerialized on the mortal plane, looking quite confident as Piccolo and Sailor Neptune went over to meet him.  
  
"You were able to convince him?" Piccolo inquired as the aged guardian descended the stone steps.  
  
"I had to call in a few favors," Kami replied. "But everything's going to be taken care of. Enma's granted their permission to be trained under Lord Kaio upon their arrival; when we bring the Sailor Soldiers back in the future time period, they will hopefully be many times more powerful than they were before."  
  
"'We,' old man?" Piccolo skeptically asked with a narrowed gaze. "I don't recall saying that we needed your help in this excursion, Kami; you'd just slow us down."  
  
"I wasn't referring to the physical collection of the Dragonballs, Piccolo, but to their usage," Kami leaned slightly on his staff as Sailor Neptune and Piccolo listened carefully to him. "I'm surprised this hasn't occurred to you sooner - I am uncertain how effective the Dragonballs will be in the future realm without my presence."  
  
"Your presence?" Sailor Neptune asked. "I don't understand; I was under the impression that they could act on their own, without any kind of restrictions."  
  
"That's true to an extent, but just as a rose has its thorns, the Dragonballs themselves have their own drawbacks. I am the creator of the sacred relics, and their essences are linked to my very soul. Since my life force does not exist in your future era, it is very likely that the Dragonballs will cease to exist as well. And as guardian, I cannot abandon the watch over this planet to travel forward in time, no matter how temporary it may be. The wrath of my predecessors would fall upon me if I did so."  
  
Sailor Neptune felt her shoulders sagging, hope escaping her. She might've known that this was too good to be true.  
  
"However," He continued, his brow furrowing in deep contemplation. "There may just be a way that we could work around that, that is, if you are willing to loan me one of your techniques, Piccolo."  
  
Piccolo looked as incredulous as Neptune did - he didn't seem to understand what Kami was getting at.  
  
"You, mastering one of my techniques?" He jested. "I think you're beginning to lose your grip on reality, old man - you're a sage, not a warrior."  
  
"The split-form technique," Kami ignored him. "Show me how you perform your split-form ability. If I can master it while the two of you are gathering the Dragonballs, I can send part of myself to the future with you."  
  
Piccolo looked nearly ready to burst out laughing.  
  
"Are you serious? You'd never pull it off, Kami; your body's too frail to stand up to the separation process."  
  
"If the two of you want a chance of bringing your friends back to life, you'll show me the split-form ability, Piccolo. I understand the risks involved, and I am willing to take them."  
  
He turned to Sailor Neptune, giving her a friendly smile.  
  
"Setsuna is a dear friend of mine; any chance of bringing her back to this mortal plane is a welcome one."  
  
Neptune smiled inwardly - for some reason, she was not surprised at that revelation considering Setsuna.  
  
"If you insist, but the first sign of overstraining yourself and the deal's off," Piccolo declared. "Remember, you're putting both you and me at risk by performing this technique in your ancient state."  
  
"You may be pleasantly surprised, Piccolo," The guardian replied. "Now, show me this power."  
  
Neptune stepped back as Piccolo tensed his body, energizing his limbs. He clenched his teeth tightly, white energy illuminating his entire form. Speechless, Neptune watched Piccolo nearly squat down, not sure what was going to happen next.  
  
Seconds later, Piccolo let out a powerful yell, and Neptune cried out in astonishment and horror as a second Piccolo exploded out of the first's upper back. Neon green slime splattered all over the tiled floor, the newly born Piccolo painfully extracting itself from its progenitor. It tore its lower body and legs away from the back of the first Piccolo, standing sturdily on its own. As she looked the twins over, she saw that the new Piccolo was identical to the first in every way, even bearing the same pearl white cape and turban. Both Piccolos took a moment to catch their breath as Kami nodded approvingly.  
  
"Did you get that, old timer?" The first one said. "I hope you're a quick study, because I'm not demonstrating for you again."  
  
The guardian nodded again.  
  
"It was sufficient for me," He informed Piccolo. "As long as I can remember the energy patterns of such a maneuver, I should be able to replicate it easily."  
  
"Practice as much as you want," The second Piccolo offered. "The search for the Dragonballs will take quite a while with just the two of us. When we return with the balls, you'd better have mastered it."  
  
The second Piccolo bounded into the air, diving directly back into the first Piccolo and dissolving into his body as if he were a walking body of water. The process appeared excruciatingly painful, but Piccolo had become whole again.  
  
"I take that you're going to find the Dragon Radar first?"  
  
As Piccolo began to reply, a twinge pricked at Sailor Neptune's senses, and she turned back toward the shrine, observing the building pensively.  
  
"Is something wrong, Ms. Kaioh?" Kami asked.  
  
"I...thought I could sense something.active energies," Sailor Neptune offered, trying to fixate her mind on anything that could've been hiding within the walls. "A few of them...maybe two or three."  
  
Piccolo glanced over at her with a bit of surprise.  
  
"You have a sense like mine? That's strange - very few people who haven't trained in our style have such a gift."  
  
"As I mentioned to you before, our style is different from yours, but not inferior. But I can't be certain about those energies...it's probably the effects of the time vortex; nobody else was in the area when I opened the portal."  
  
"I will check around the shrine a bit later," Popo offered. "If I notice anything peculiar, I will have Kami contact you telepathically."  
  
"For now, we should get moving," Piccolo suggested, motioning for Sailor Neptune to follow him to the edge of the lookout. She nervously moved to join him - she certainly didn't have a fear of heights, but she wasn't very fond of them either. She couldn't help but notice the sly smile on Piccolo's face. "Try to see if you can keep up, Sailor Neptune. Now that I know you have a sense for energy, you can find me anytime. I'll be seeing you at a place called Capsule Corporation!"  
  
Before Neptune could utter a response, Piccolo dove off of the sanctuary, powering up and spiraling down to earth in a corkscrew flight pattern. She called after him in vain - by the time the words left her mouth, the warrior had already vanished from sight.  
  
"Another slap in the face, eh?" She remarked to herself with slight disdain at Piccolo's arrogance; he still considered himself the superior warrior over her. But it certainly didn't mean that the stoic fighter was invincible in her eyes - she would be able to have some fun with his stone- cold demeanor and rigorous attitude, as she'd seen in the flight to the time gate.  
  
Waving a sincere farewell to the Earth guardian, Neptune plunged over the edge of the lookout, concentrating her energy to slow her fall to the ground. It was certainly still an adrenaline rush, but at least she wouldn't be making a crater upon impact.  
  
As she fell, she finally caught a glimpse of the old world after passing through a few cloud banks. The ground below her was lush and green, the countryside and forest areas glowing with life and the simplicity of nature. She sighed peacefully as she took in the sights - it had felt like so long since she'd been able to bear witness to the marvels of a simpler, more tranquil world.  
  
Ten centuries... She mused to herself. Is a terribly long time...  
  
* * *  
  
As the conversation ended, Zebus closed out the scouter's voice recorder. The machine had picked up a good portion of the exchange between the Crystal Tokyo warriors and their new allies, and each word had captivated the Trisgamman. Zebus could admit that he had underestimated the resourcefulness of the Crystal Tokyo warriors, but the last thing he would've thought they were capable of was creating a gateway back to Earth's past. If that wasn't enough, they'd come back to retrieve objects capable of restoring life to the dead.  
  
"Dragonballs...how fascinating..." He inattentively remarked as he stroked his cilia. He barely noticed as Jevor delivered his report from his own scouter.  
  
"Impossible...how can this be?" Jevor gazed at the eye-piece's readout incredulously, shaking his head in disbelief. "The atmospheric contents...the dating of the surface...all of the planetary data we measured upon the fleet's arrival on Earth has completely changed! It's as if we're been deposited on a completely different world!"  
  
"No, this is definitely Earth, though in a more primitive form than it was in our time..." Zebus stuck his head out into the corridor, letting out a breath of relief as he detected no nearby residents of the ancient- looking building. If they were lucky, they could slip out unnoticed. "But how this is possible is unimportant at the moment."  
  
Jevor studied the crimson orb in the middle of the room, running a few scans on the celestial sphere with his scouter.  
  
"It doesn't look like this thing is opening back up anytime soon, sir," He informed Zebus as the blue-skinned alien rejoined his two comrades in the small chamber. "Whatever kind of energy that girl empowered it with is unknown to the databanks."  
  
"We'll deal with that problem later," Zebus informed them. "I have bigger ideas for us at the moment. Did either of you hear about those artifacts the two Crystal Tokyo warriors were mentioning?"  
  
"Fascinating..." Barista rumbled, folding his arms over his broad chest. "Power...unique?"  
  
"To say the least," Zebus concurred, furrowing his brow in thought. "Such powerful relics are bound to have limitless potential if they have the ability to revive the dead...can you imagine what kind of edge the three of us would have if those Dragonballs came into our possession?"  
  
"Indeed..." Jevor nodded in agreement. "If we could acquire such artifacts, the benefits to the fleet and our forces would be unimaginable!"  
  
Zebus glanced over with irritation at Jevor.  
  
"Is that the limits of your imagination? We have a chance to get our hands on such mystical relics, and you would so willingly surrender them to Damos?"  
  
Jevor cocked his head, rolling his globular eyes at Zebus with confusion.  
  
"What are you suggesting, brother?" He asked, trepidation in his voice. "Are you...?"  
  
"Think, Jevor," Zebus continued, a sudden fire erupting within him. "With the power concealed inside those Dragonballs, perhaps we can finally avenge our fallen race! Can you picture it, either of you? The three of us standing together, storming and wrecking the Terror under the weight of our crushing power. We hover over the broken bodies of General Damos and his prized soldiers, totally victorious!"  
  
A euphoric glimmer sparkled in Zebus's eyes, and his vertical mouth contorted in a close approximation of a grin. Jevor and Barista were overcome with astonishment, staring at each other wordlessly.  
  
"My god, it would be a spectacular end for the overlord of the Trisgamman genocide," Zebus went on, powerful images of his prophecy flashing through his excited mind. "And finally, true justice..."  
  
"You speak powerful words, brother," Jevor admitted. "And you realize that even the idea of such a rebellion carries the penalty of execution."  
  
"If we can harness the power of those Dragonballs," Zebus contested. "Death even in battle may no longer be a worry. Will either of you join me in this venture, to avenge the honor of our race?"  
  
"Honor...Revenge..." Barista croaked. "Acceptable grounds...for rebellion..."  
  
"Indeed," Jevor nodded. "The lives of our fallen people mean more to me than the orders of our supposed leader. But how would we go about such an arduous task? We wouldn't know where to start looking."  
  
"We may not have to strain ourselves," Zebus answered. "Remember the end of that conversation? The two Crystal Tokyo fighters were off to find some kind of radar device, perhaps to track the location of those Dragonballs."  
  
"We wait...until they find...?" Barista rumbled.  
  
"Why should we make an effort when we have two associates who are going to do the job for us?" Zebus suggested. "We'll track their progress down on Earth, and when they've gathered up all of the Dragonballs...we simply step in and relieve them of their prize."  
  
"Excellent, brother!" Jevor exclaimed. "I don't mind a small vacation from the battle zone in any event."  
  
"Come on, we've got to get out of here first," He motioned for the two Trisgammans to follow him out into the wide corridor. "They nearly picked up our energy signals while we were spying on them."  
  
Jevor and Barista hurried after him, understanding the risk of being seen by the caretakers of the shrine. If they were trusted allies of the two warriors, then any information leaking could've wrecked the entire plan.  
  
The trio hurried down the polished tiled hallway, and Zebus chittered to himself as he spotted sunlight illuminating a large section of the adjacent corridor. Apparently, the owners of the sanctuary didn't rely on electrical power for lighting - the long expansive corridor before them were completely bereft of a ceiling, allowing the fresh air and bright sunlight into the building. With a quick motion of his hand, Zebus shot up through the gaping hole and exited out into the open air of planet Earth. Jevor and Barista followed, and before they could be noticed by any onlookers, they energized themselves and rocketed away from the shrine.  
  
"Mark this place on your mapping grids," He suggested as the three Trisgammans sailed down toward the uninhabited valleys below them. They would provide excellent cover from the humans of the time period and from the watchful senses of the Namek and his princess friend. "I doubt that this time travel technology exists anywhere else in this primeval world. We'll need to re-open that portal to get back."  
  
Jevor glanced back at the shrine with amusement - none of them had known that they'd actually been inside a floating sanctuary of sorts. They were at an incredible height from the ground.  
  
"I don't think we have to worry about mixing up the locations. It's the only place around at this altitude."  
  
Zebus shook his head - for all of the curiosities he'd discovered with these two Crystal Tokyo warriors, his perception of the human race remained unchanged - why place such an important temple so high off of the ground? It was practically begging to be torn to shreds by a squad of aero- soldiers.  
  
Humans... He mused to himself. Such animals...once we take care of Damos, I'll be more than happy to step on each of them as well...  
  
* * *  
  
The Seat of Judgment was certainly...different, for lack of a better term, much less extravagant as most Earth legends had believed. Considering its layout, Sailor Mars almost thought she'd stepped into a well-kept, bustling office complex back in Crystal Tokyo's industrial sector. She could almost see her reflection in the polished white-tiled floor, and she was astounded as she gazed at row upon row of blue-stained, box-shaped filing cabinets lining the outer walls of the vast arena. Several attendants similar to the one who had lambasted Sailor Jupiter outside were busily shuffling through different records stored within the cabinets, unaware of the new entrants into the chamber. Mars wasn't too surprised - she couldn't even fathom how many different members of different races had passed through the grand Seat of Judgment since the beginning of time. These workers were probably too accustomed to their jobs to pay any mind to even the most illustrious of arrivals.  
  
"My goodness..." She heard Venus remark meekly as they were led into the center of the chamber by the armored sentinel. The Sailor Soldiers stopped several dozen feet short of a plain oak desk that towered many stories above them. The desk was cluttered with various office supplies - thick, leather-bound tomes and volumes the size of cars were piled up on both sides, and an old-fashioned black corded telephone sat nearby.  
  
"Whatever you do," Sailor Pluto cautioned them. "Don't irritate the Keeper of the Dead. Our eternity lies within his grasp, and he can drastically change it depending on our reverence and manners."  
  
"How long has he existed?" Mercury asked lowly. She had begun to scan the area with her visor upon entry into the building, engulfed in her own eternal curiosity, but Pluto had quickly ordered her to deactivate it - it looked far too suspicious.  
  
"I'm not certain, though I believe he was once a great warrior," Pluto replied softly. "But that was eons ago - how he has advanced to this mighty position, I can only begin to guess."  
  
Venus swallowed roughly as she beheld the humanoid behemoth in the center of the room. He stood many times taller than any average human, possessing a fierce, almost wild look in his eye. From Sailor Mars's estimation, one of his eyes was probably as tall as a normal human's height.  
  
"Oh, god..." Venus squeaked as she observed the figure. "I'm not ready for this..."  
  
He was the most intimidating presence in the entire room, dressed in a well-pressed bright purple suit with a neon-shaded orange shirt underneath. A wooden helm bearing two broad, sharpened horns sat on his thick, knotted hair. As he spoke into the receiver of the phone, he produced a low, bellowing tone that shook the walls of the chamber. Mars felt her limbs shaking - Tridyx was no longer a titan, not compared to the being looming over them.  
  
"Him...?" Mercury nervously whispered.  
  
Sailor Pluto seemed especially calm, which made Sailor Mars roll her eyes in disbelief - did nothing surprise her at all?  
  
"Indeed; this is the great Lord Enma, Keeper of the Dead," She answered.  
  
Lord Enma didn't seem conscious of their entrance either - his large mouth was contorted into a scowl as he listened to whoever he was on the phone with.  
  
"What do you mean they didn't show?! They know that they always handle the influx of new arrivals down there!!...Yes...I see...Listen, I don't care what kind of stress those two are under; they've got nothing on me at the moment. Remind Goz and Mez of that and tell them to get back to work!!"  
  
He slammed down the receiver, sending a resounding echo throughout the arena-sized room. Even Jupiter looked a bit uncomfortable as Enma angrily swore under his breath and began flipping frenetically through a red volume in front of him.  
  
"Umm...he looks kind of busy at the moment; maybe we should wait back in line again until he calms down. No sense getting a bad verdict on account of the judge being in a bad mood..."  
  
The sentinel glanced back at her with mirth.  
  
"It wouldn't do you much good. He's been in a vile disposition for days now," He turned back and glanced up at the towering desk, addressing his lord loudly and clearly. He had to - the Keeper was simply too large to address with conversational tone. "Lord Enma!! I have brought the ones you requested!!"  
  
"Hmm...?" He absently looked up from his notes, spotting the group for the first time. Sailor Mars stood straight and faced the lord with a respectful expression as his large black eyes rested on them. Realizing who they were, he straightened his black tie; he folded his hands and rested them in the book. "Ah, yes, the Sailor Soldiers of Earth. I've been expecting you for a long time; ten centuries, in fact."  
  
His tone of voice surprised Mars - it had gone from ranting and bellowing to cordial and polite almost instantly. Enma glanced down toward the guard, motioning back toward the entrance.  
  
"Thank you, Michael. You may resume your patrol duties."  
  
Michael wordlessly bowed and dutifully marched out the grand chamber. Enma refocused on the new guests.  
  
"You're probably all wondering why you've been granted this special privilege," He began as the five Sailor Soldiers listened intently. "Indeed, it is rare that I ever bestow the forthcoming honor among any soul. But the five of you are among a special breed - not many have made such noble sacrifices to preserve life. Of course, it also saves me from going through a wealth of paperwork each time you bring the human race back from the brink of catastrophe."  
  
Whatever helps... Mars was still anxious despite Enma's kind words - what kind of honor was he talking about? The highest seats of Heaven? Perhaps a wealth of spiritual knowledge...Mars relished at the idea, to have all the supernatural secrets of the Universe unlocked.  
  
"Though on the other hand, you should also consider yourselves lucky that you have this opportunity," Enma reached into one of his desk's expansive drawers, pulling out a dusty volume with yellowing, crinkled pages. He opened up the withering book, blowing out a large cloud of dust. He flipped through the pages, scanning around as he went. "Let's see...ah, here we are! You five have made several passes between this realm and the living world, but this is the first I've seen of you! Four of you - Sailors Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus - have been placed within that line three times already!! And each time has been related to your extensive careers as protectors of the peace. As for you, Sailor Pluto..."  
  
Mars noticed Pluto's tranquility wavering, her muscles tensing as if awaiting a powerful blow from Enma. She saw the gigantic keeper roll his eyes, shaking his head in exasperation.  
  
"Forget it; I'm not even going to bother listing how many times you've been here," He grimaced at them, leaning forward on his desk. "Listen, do you have any idea how passing through both realms at will messes up our files? Just one of you being accounted for in the line but not appearing at the Seat of Judgment is enough to overload the system for days. We're trying to run a smooth operation here, Sailor Soldiers; your constant shifts between life and death must have their limits at some point despite your necessary presence on Earth. And considering what we do here, a slight setback can cause a little bit of chaos, as you're witnessing right now. Do you understand, Sailor Soldiers?"  
  
All of them eagerly nodded in agreement but wisely said nothing to the lord. Enma leaned back casually at his desk, pulling what appeared to be a folded piece of paper out of the old manual. He opened the leaflet up, looking back at the awaiting humans.  
  
"With that being said, I'm going to read you something that I transcribed ten centuries ago, before your times," Enma told them. "I never thought the day would come when this message would be put to use, but I believe you will understand my offer once I finish reciting it."  
  
Mars listened carefully, feeling no strange emotions emanating from the keeper. He was relaxed and calm about whatever the message held - she was curious as to why he would be so tranquil with such an old message intended for an exclusive audience.  
  
"'Addressed with the highest respects to the future defenders of planet Earth, the Sailor Soldiers, this message has been faithfully recorded by the Keeper of the Dead and is meant as a beacon of information for what has recently happened in your era.'"  
  
Their eyes darted around at each other, each of them looking utterly shell-shocked. It was a message from so long ago in the past, but it concerned their time period? How was that possible?  
  
"'First, let me assure you that your comrades are alive and well. They have been saved from their attackers and returned safely to your palace. The enemies of your people have been driven away for the moment by the recent hires acquired by one Sailor Pluto, or as I know her, Setsuna Meioh.'"  
  
"It can't be..." Mars heard Sailor Pluto gasp as Enma continued.  
  
"'Do not feel that your sacrifices have been in vain, for chances for victory among your people still exist, and thanks to some careful strategy mapped out by myself and two envoys, you may yet be alive to witness that victory.'"  
  
"Alive...?! There's no chance..." Sailor Venus cried out involuntarily before hushing herself in embarrassment. Still, the other shared similar reactions - and Mars began to pay even closer attention even as Mercury and Jupiter broke out into whispering. Sailor Pluto wisely gestured for them to silence themselves.  
  
"'In the past era, relics with the power of resurrection exist. With a bit of luck and some effort, we hope to use these treasures to bring all of you back to life in your era. But while that is happening, we also have devised a way to increase your already-high fighting potential.'"  
  
Jupiter looked positively elated, looking around at the others.  
  
"A chance at resurrection and a power upgrade...how good does this get?"  
  
Enma looked a bit annoyed at the sudden chatter - and Pluto looked ready to clamp her hand over Jupiter's mouth - but he continued.  
  
"'There is a legendary martial arts master that resides in the Dead Realm, one that trained the warriors assisting your kingdom at the moment. With his expertise and wisdom, all of you should experience substantial increases in strength, ability, and endurance under his tutelage. His name is Lord Kaio.'"  
  
"Lord Kaio..." Mars pondered the name, her familiarity with spirits beyond their realm the best out of the current group. Even still, she was drawing a blank.  
  
"What kind of martial arts does this guy teach?" Jupiter inquired.  
  
"Jupiter!! Don't speak to a lord like that!" Pluto finally burst out. "Address him as Lord Enma."  
  
"Alright, alright, sheesh..." Jupiter cleared her throat. She spoke to the towering entity with an overdramatic tone, causing Sailor Pluto to roll her eyes and cringe in embarrassment. "Great Keeper of the Dead, Lord Enma; might we inquire as to the nature of this enigmatic Lord Kaio, that, uhh...none of us...errm...have seemed to have heard of?"  
  
Enma looked somewhat confused, arching an eyebrow in Jupiter's direction.  
  
"In any event..." He lowly said to them, reading off the bottom part of the message. "It's addressed from an old guardian of the Earth, one who's long since passed on from the mortal plane. Errgh, I still remember him after all this time...he was nearly begging me to accept this request on his behalf, and I finally did it just to shut him up..."  
  
Sailor Pluto laughed aloud, smiling broadly.  
  
"Kami...you old fool..." She said to herself. "You're never going to let me live this down."  
  
"You know this person?" Venus asked her in an overly inquisitive tone. "Is there something else you've been keeping from us, Setsuna? What's this guardian like, hmm??"  
  
"Ahem...excuse me..." Enma cleared his throat.  
  
"You're looking a bit flustered there, Setsuna - I think there IS something you're not telling us!" Jupiter teased her. "Come on, you can be honest with us!"  
  
"Pardon me, Sailor Soldiers..."  
  
Sailor Pluto looked a bit surprised, a rarity for her, which only served as reason for her friends to tease her even more.  
  
"I...it's not what you think!" She stammered. "Kami's an old friend of mine, very old. Stop looking at me like that!! You're such children sometimes, all of you..."  
  
"EXCUSE ME!!!" A sudden eruption from Lord Enma's throat cavity silenced all activity in the room, and the Sailor Soldiers froze where they were, all of them quivering. Seconds later, Enma cleared his throat again, straightening his tie before continuing. "That's better! I hate being interrupted by anybody."  
  
"...I told you..." Pluto's even temper had been shattered along with everyone else's. "...Don't irritate him..."  
  
Sailor Mars thought for an instant that they had ruined their chances, but the keeper regained his composure and placed the leaflet back into the ancient volume, leaning over his desk to address them.  
  
"I am more than willing to allow you into Lord Kaio's training, not just because of Kami's wishes but by your own superb track records. However, the only problem is that the old training planet utilized by the master no longer exists. The poor man...he lost the planet and his life ages ago thanks to a pea-brained student of his. And while I certainly can provide you transportation to his dwelling place in Heaven, I can't guarantee that the benefits promised by Kami's initial message will be the same. Are you still willing to make this trek?"  
  
The Sailor Soldiers all nodded toward the keeper, Mars feeling her excitement rising.  
  
Incredible...he sounds like such a reverent figure in this world. I can hardly wait to see what I can learn from his ages of experience...he must have a lot to offer in that respect.  
  
Enma summoned a slender worker over to his desk.  
  
"If you insist," He shrugged nonchalantly. "Enoch, could you please escort these guests to the landing terminal? They're to be directly transported into the Upper Heaven, to the palace of Lord Kaio."  
  
Enoch complied, bowing respectfully toward the keeper before introducing himself to the Sailor Soldiers.  
  
"Greetings; my name is Enoch. If you'll please follow me off to the left here, I'll direct you toward the next plane leaving for Heaven."  
  
He glanced down at a silver watch on his left wrist.  
  
"What luck, you'll just be able to make the next flight out! Follow me!"  
  
Sailor Mars looked toward Lord Enma to thank him for his generosity, but the Keeper was already busy on the phone again, barking at whoever was on the other end of the line.  
  
"How could they have gotten loose?! The two of them aren't even supposed to be allowed out of the holding zones!!" He shouted. "You'd better get them back in there; if Pikkon or any of the West Galaxy fighters have to be called down there again to assist you, I'm going to have your heads!!"  
  
"We'd better just leave..." Mercury advised. "We're pretty inconsequential to the large scheme here."  
  
"I couldn't agree more," Sailor Venus nodded her head. "You want to lead the way, Jupiter? Or do you want to ask him some more questions?"  
  
"Shut up, why don't you," Jupiter grumbled as she stormed ahead, walking alongside Enoch. Sailor Mars couldn't help but notice that she'd gotten a bit more skittish in the last few minutes, her energy becoming unbalanced and defensive.  
  
"You seem excited," Mercury remarked to Mars. "Eager to get back and rejoin the fight so soon?"  
  
Mars laughed a bit.  
  
"I wish I could say that, but this is so tempting...do you realize where we'll be? Our destination is supposed to possess everything, the secrets to how this crazy Universe of ours works.I can't say I'm not enthusiastic about being this close to the source of the spiritual knowledge I've studied for all my life. You seemed a little jumpy yourself, soaking up all that knowledge with your visor."  
  
"You look for the supernatural secrets of the Universe, and I'll stick to the metaphysical. No amount of training comes without a few breaks for research."  
  
Mars rolled her eyes.  
  
"If we get back to Earth, and our time eventually comes again, I hope you won't treat our eternal rest like a science expedition."  
  
* * *  
  
Jupiter hurried over to the smiling Enoch, a pressing question in her mind almost making her sound forceful and rude.  
  
"I couldn't help but notice that you mentioned a flight. This isn't...you know...an actual airplane, right? We're getting beyond that sort of thing at this point, aren't we?"  
  
"You're still paranoid about airplanes?" Enoch replied with concern. His knowledge of her pet peeves caught Jupiter off-guard, though he seemed very sincere and genuine about her feelings.  
  
"Well...when I was younger..."  
  
"You don't have to say it," Enoch patted her on the shoulder. "We know what we're meant to know about our incoming dead. You'll be happy to know that they're still up there, living out their own form of eternity."  
  
Jupiter stopped, her breath catching in her throat. She couldn't believe that it hadn't occurred to her sooner; she wasn't the only one in her family that was now dead, but now, at least she knew they'd both made it to the better side, together.  
  
"Sailor Jupiter?" Sailor Venus came up alongside of her, noticing her friend's trembling limbs. Jupiter didn't, couldn't answer her immediately, and Venus seemed to know why. "Come on, Makoto; one flight for all eternity."  
  
Jupiter tried to calm herself, but elation soon overcame her - she smiled back at Venus and hurried toward the doorway Enoch was leading them to.  
  
* * *  
  
Saturn ducked out of the small accountings office with disappointment - the place had been stripped clean of machinery and valuables by either Crystal Tokyo looters or mercenary teams, but other than that, there'd been no signs of enemy activity anywhere inside. She hurried across the street to where ChibiMoon was anxiously waiting, tapping her foot against the pavement.  
  
She looked somewhat relieved once she saw that Saturn was uninjured.  
  
"Did you find anything?" She excitedly asked as Saturn stopped in front of her. The Sailor Soldier shook her head wordlessly, and the princess's shoulders sagged.  
  
"Me either...the boutiques were ransacked, but it didn't look like any of the aliens had passed through...Darn...They've got to be around here somewhere..." She murmured.  
  
"What about Gohan? Has he finished checking the armory?" Saturn inquired, glancing across the street at a large, ancient-looking building sitting in between a pair of retail outlets. Not long ago, the trio had decided that they should split up to check out any possible command posts in the area of the recent mercenary ambush. They'd covered three blocks so far with no luck, and with the princess and Sailor Saturn's investigations turning up nothing, it seemed like that total was about to stretch to four. No other buildings on the block could've housed a respectable command structure, and it was difficult for her mind to discern any evil energies lurking close by.  
  
Before ChibiMoon could answer Saturn's question, a piercing noise permeated the quiet afternoon, and a screaming body flew out of the top floor of the armory, slamming head-first into the solid pavement. From the make of his shattered armor, Sailor Saturn saw that it was one of the alien thugs.  
  
"I suppose so, then..."  
  
The two Sailor Soldiers rushed over to the fallen corpse, seeing its brains dashed all over the road thanks to the fall.  
  
"Just a normal regular, I would imagine," Saturn commented as she studied his armor. "He doesn't look too important..."  
  
"You can tell from what's left of his face...?" ChibiMoon grimaced at the bloody mess.  
  
Suddenly, a bright light exploded out of the top floor of the armor, and after a deafening explosion that nearly caused her eardrums to burst, Saturn gasped as she saw the entire floor had been disintegrated by an enormous energy blast.  
  
A small form burst through the rubble and somersaulted down to the pavement. Saturn shook her head in agitation as she noticed the look on Gohan's dirtied face. He looked like a schoolchild.  
  
"Well, that's four more down!" He beamed, holding up the fingers to show the kill count. "But their equipment didn't look very important or hi- tech as far as I saw."  
  
"Incredible...!" ChibiMoon was shaking slightly, her nerves jarred slightly more than Saturn's from Gohan's fireworks show. "You're so strong, Gohan!"  
  
"It's not that hard after you do it about twenty or thirty times," Gohan shrugged indifferently. "Did you guys find anything interesting?"  
  
Saturn spoke clearly and distinctly, sensing ChibiMoon losing her focus in Gohan's absurd strength.  
  
"Both of the buildings we checked were clear, and I doubt they're hiding anywhere else in this section. We'd better move on--"  
  
"Wait..." Gohan cocked his head to his left, listening intently.  
  
"What is it?" ChibiMoon asked.  
  
"Something...faint..." He closed his eyes, concentrating hard as he furrowed his brow and his facial muscles tightened. Moments later, he spoke again. "That little building on the corner of the street...I could've sworn that I sensed some powers coming from there."  
  
"Are you sure?" Saturn had her own sense about energy levels, particularly negative ones, and she couldn't feel a thing. Even at a moderate distance, she should've been able to detect an anomaly. "That place is nothing but an old book depository; it's been abandoned since even before the war."  
  
"I think it's worth a look," Gohan suggested.  
  
Before they could agree, a sudden bolt of ki energy sliced through the atmosphere from above, its course taking it straight toward the depository. As Saturn gasped in astonishment, the derelict building was nearly evaporated by the energy, the impact of the explosion throwing all three of them off of their feet. She glanced up, rubbing the arm she'd landed on and staring wide-eyed at the remnant of the old building - it had been completely gutted from top to bottom, chunks of concrete and crystal spilling out onto the sidewalk as several metal beams crashed noisily onto the ground.  
  
"What in the...!!" ChibiMoon was the first to gaze skyward, spotting the Saiyan prince Vegeta hovering about a few hundred meters overhead and admiring his handiwork. He lowered his outstretched hand and gracefully dropped down to the pavement, landing on one foot.  
  
"It took you brats long enough to notice the energy traces in there," He snorted as the Saturn, ChibiMoon, and Gohan picked themselves up off of the ground. "I've had that place in my sights for fifteen minutes - I just thought it would be amusing to watch you children play detective for a while."  
  
Saturn scowled at the arrogant warrior, wiping some dirt away from her mouth. Vegeta certainly was different from the others - his attitude was much more chauvinistic and aggressive than his counterparts, and the energy that Saturn sensed within him was filled to the brim with hatred, pride, and a disgusted resentment for all life beneath him. Even the power beam he'd used to eviscerate the depository had made her senses quake as they'd absorbed its intensity. Saturn didn't know how to describe it...evil, for lack of a better term; his energy techniques were an extension of his desire to liquidate inferior life-forms. Though Gohan had not possessed too much similar energy in his fighting style, Saturn shuddered to think that this was the way that all Saiyans fought.  
  
"Well, thanks for doing the job for us, in that case," Saturn attempted to maintain her dignity in front of Vegeta. "At least you contributed something to this battle..."  
  
"Hold your tongue, child, or I may rip it out," Vegeta scowled. "And don't try to duplicate your surrogate mother's nastiness in an attempt to impress me - she's much more natural at it than you are..."  
  
Though stung by the remark, Saturn remained silent as Gohan addressed Vegeta instead.  
  
"That was the command post you just blasted, wasn't it?"  
  
"Those small battle powers?" Vegeta laughed aloud. "Ignorant half- breed; that place is much too obvious for an enemy position of leadership - it was out in the open, exposed from multiple directions, and the shape of the building left much to be desired for safety."  
  
"Well, if you're the expert," ChibiMoon asked. "Where do YOU think we should keep looking?"  
  
Vegeta shook his head with exasperation.  
  
"Ignorance breeds more ignorance, I see..." He sighed. "But there is hope for you yet if you've thought of taking out the mind behind the attack. So, I'll assist you for the moment."  
  
He scratched his chin silently, and Sailor Saturn couldn't tell by his dead facial expression if he was actually thinking or attempting to mock them further.  
  
"Well, if I was a competent military man, and I suppose I am," He began. "I'd try to construct a command post away from the prying eyes of any enemy soldiers. Even with this much power behind them, no army can be too careful, especially with the coordination they've used in this attack up to this point."  
  
"You could be right...maybe we've been searching too much in the shallow end..." ChibiMoon wondered aloud.  
  
"Of course I'm right, brat!" Vegeta snapped. "And since I haven't been able to spot anything in the air, I'd wager that our commanders are crawling underground like rats."  
  
"Underground...?" ChibiMoon whined a bit. "But that means they could be anywhere! We'll have to circle back all over again..."  
  
Vegeta growled lowly as he stared with disgust at the princess. He crouched down and propelled himself back into the air, hovering at a lower altitude than before.  
  
"Hey!" Gohan shouted up to him. "Where are you going?!"  
  
"Well, you can't expect me to hand all the answers to you," He laughed. "I've got plans of my own to carry out - besides, I'm sure if all of you spark some ingenuity within your heads, you can figure it out; surprise me, kid, I have high hopes for you!"  
  
Before they could object, Vegeta rocketed away to the east, leaving the trio frustrated.  
  
"He's such a bully...why do the bad guys always have to be the strongest ones?" ChibiMoon grumbled.  
  
"But he is right about the command posts," Sailor Saturn reminded her. "If we haven't been able to sense or locate them up until now, it's probably secluded somewhere under this area."  
  
"But how are we going to be to find it?" ChibiMoon groaned again. "Like I said, they could be anywhere under here!"  
  
"If only Sailor Neptune were here...we could've used her Aqua Mirror to help us out..." Saturn mused.  
  
"There's no sense worrying about that now - I think I've got an idea!" Gohan chimed in, cupping his hands above his head and glancing down at the paved ground. "If the ground's in our way, we can just remove it! Masenko..."  
  
"Wait, wait!!" ChibiMoon grabbed Gohan's hands just he began gathering energy, frantically pulling him out of his attack. "You can't just go around blasting holes everywhere! The city would be even more wrecked in no time!"  
  
Gohan smiled sheepishly as he realized her point.  
  
"Heh...oh, yeah...forgot about that part..."  
  
"Hmm...I suppose we could go back and get the others, and we could split up again to search around," Sailor Saturn suggested. "I can't really think of a better option..."  
  
"Actually..." Gohan gazed thoughtfully at the princess. "I think I might have a sure-fire way of getting inside wherever they are, at least, as long as these aliens are still willing to approach things nonviolently..."  
  
Saturn shook her head incredulously - judging by his last attempted plan, she didn't know what the small Saiyan had in mind.  
  
"Why not, Gohan - let's hear it," She replied.  
  
"Well, it's actually kind of complicated...princess?" He glanced over at Sailor ChibiMoon with uncertainty. "I'm going to need a tiny favor from you..."  
  
* * *  
  
"Gohan!!" ChibiMoon's shouted with irritation. She glared at the Saiyan with irritation as she dangled by a rope on a small crystalline beam that stuck out above the armory's entrance. Gohan could tell that she was struggling to maintain a degree of comfort and not having much success at it. She motioned to the makeshift restraint. "Was this part really necessary?! I can barely breathe in this thing!!"  
  
"We have to make it look like a real capture!" Gohan replied. "It was either that, or I'd have to beat you unconscious to give them the idea that you were really taken out!"  
  
ChibiMoon huffed indignantly as she seemed to silently agree with Gohan's assessment, her momentum causing her to spin around slightly on the rope. Gohan smiled reassuringly to her.  
  
"Relax, ChibiMoon; I haven't let you down once yet, have I?"  
  
"It's not that, Gohan," She replied. "It's just not very comforting being completely defenseless up here! I mean, what if I get fried by a stray energy beam, or what if a low-flying alien crashes into me?!"  
  
Gohan motioned for Sailor Saturn to follow him back to their hiding place inside the vacant accounting office across the street, though the princess was shouting after them to make sure they didn't let anything unexpected happen to her.  
  
Gohan ducked behind the doorway of the wrecked accounting office, his pulse beginning to race. He figured that his extensive textbook knowledge could've helped him become a better planner than this - despite the feasibility of his idea, there were still plenty of risks involved, especially for the princess.  
  
Sailor Saturn looked anxious and annoyed at the same time as she joined Gohan inside the office, clutching her glaive tightly as she turned her gaze back outside.  
  
"I can't believe we let you talk us into this, Gohan," She nervously told him as she eyed the struggling princess. "Do you know how many mission codes I'm breaking as a Sailor Soldier with my agreeing to this scheme of yours??"  
  
Gohan tried to appear confident externally and internally, though he had decidedly better luck with the former.  
  
"Hey, don't worry; this'll work out. We wait until an enemy unit passes by; they'll see the note attached to Sailor ChibiMoon out there, and they'll take her right back to the command post! Besides, once we get back to the others and tell them that we smashed the control area, we don't have to say how we did it."  
  
"Oh, thank you for allaying my worries..." Saturn didn't look convinced. "What if they decide to kill her on the spot instead?! That's our princess out there, Gohan; the risk is too great! I still say we should go back and regroup with the others before we proceed with this!!"  
  
Gohan had already decided against that option - given Sailor Uranus's fiery temper, especially concerning the safety of the princess, informing her of this idea would've more than likely gotten his head bitten off, and that was a best-case scenario. He also didn't think that the command post was anything they couldn't handle - it couldn't require too many commanders to coordinate action in the field.  
  
"We'll be here just in case! I don't think they're too many soldiers left in the area to worry about anyway. If we run into problems, we can always bail her out, and it worse comes to worst, we revive her with the Dragonballs once Piccolo and Neptune get back."  
  
Saturn groaned aloud.  
  
"That's it, then? You'd look at her life so logically and coldly?" She snapped. "Gohan...that's my best friend out there; she's one of my only friends left alive. I don't think I'd be able to take it if she was killed..."  
  
Gohan was struck speechless at the first part of the statement, and he felt obligated to assuage her fears even further.  
  
He sidled over to her, speaking in a pleasant tone.  
  
"I didn't mean it that way - it's just that I made a promise to you guys when I first arrived...you were still out cold by then..."  
  
"Promise?" Saturn wondered. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"I told Sailor ChibiMoon that as long as I lived, no more of you were going to be harmed. My mom and dad always taught me never to break a promise - and I'm going to do my best to make sure that nothing goes wrong."  
  
Saturn didn't respond at first, but somehow, she looked more at ease as she glanced into Gohan's bright, smiling face. The Saiyan hybrid was relieved; he didn't want to come off as another Vegeta - he truly did mean to protect the princess from harm despite using her for bait in his plan. And thus far, the aliens hadn't thrown him anything he couldn't handle...  
  
His thoughts were interrupted as he caught Saturn smiling slightly, her thoughts wandering elsewhere.  
  
"Sailor Saturn?" He asked her. "Is everything okay?"  
  
Saturn snapped out of it, giggling a bit.  
  
"Sorry, I was just thinking," She replied. "It's nice and strange at the same time - throughout my entire life, I've always had some kind of guardian watching over me. Sometimes it was my friends, other times it was Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama, and Setsuna-mama, and now it's you, a total stranger..."  
  
"Well, it's what the queen called us here for," Gohan responded. "Besides, you guys were nice enough to put us up for our time here - it's the least we could do."  
  
"Is that all it is then?" She wondered. "Is it just a challenge for you, and repaying a debt to us and your planet?"  
  
"Partially..." Gohan folded his arms across his chest, his memories flooding into his mind. "I've just seen a world picked apart by enemies like these aliens; it was a terrible feeling, you know, seeing so much death..."  
  
Saturn listened intently, and Gohan started losing himself in his words.  
  
"During an adventure on another planet...Piccolo's planet...I found a village that had been massacred without mercy. And I watched as another village was obliterated by the same fighters. They didn't even spare the children...and I was powerless to stop them both times."  
  
"How terrible!" Saturn cried. "What happened on that planet? Why were they slaughtering Piccolo's people the way they were?"  
  
A sudden prick at his senses drew Gohan out of his daydreaming - a few small battle powers were approaching from the west at a slow speed. Sailor Saturn had her glaive raised - she'd apparently noticed the energies with whatever senses she possessed.  
  
"Two of them...and they're getting closer..." Gohan pressed up against the wall, motioning for Sailor Saturn to do the same. "This could be our chance...I'll tell you about Namek some other time."  
  
"I'm eager to hear about it," She nodded, tensing her muscles. "I just hope that these ones will be as reasonable as you hope, Gohan..."  
  
* * *  
  
ChibiMoon had been complaining under her breath continuously for the last few minutes. How Gohan had managed to talk her into being the worm on the hook, she'd never know. Maybe she'd showed too much eagerness in wanting to find and destroy the command post that her heart ran away with her head.  
  
Whatever the way, she found herself strung up above the armory like a piñata, gasping at times as her lungs were constricted. She called herself (not to mention Gohan and Hotaru, in a more derogatory way) variations of crazy and stupid for allowing them to do this to her, though as she watched Gohan peek out reassuringly from the accounting office from time to time, she felt herself relaxing more. If anything happened, Gohan would've been there to ensure that she would be safe and sound. He'd been her knight in shining armor so far, and she felt guilty about doubting him.  
  
Maybe someone will fire at me, cutting me loose...then he'd swoop down and catch me...  
  
She felt herself smiling broadly as he envisioned the scenario, and she was so enraptured in her fantasy that she didn't notice the two burly armored forms dropping down in front of her.  
  
Gasping, she decided that the safest route was to play dead - they couldn't catch her in deception through any questioning if she wasn't conscious enough to answer them. Before the two soldiers turned their complete attention to her, she squeezed her eyes closed, hanging as limply as she could to create the illusion.  
  
It seemed to work for the alien soldiers as she listened in to their conversation.  
  
"Wow, good thing you caught that power reading, Byderz; you led us to a prize catch!" The gruff voice of one of the soldiers guffawed to his partner.  
  
"The princess of Crystal Tokyo...I wonder how she got out here in the middle of nowhere on her own?" The other soldier's lighter, crisper voice rang through her ears. "Seeing her up close doesn't impress me - she looks more like a friggin doll than she does a princess."  
  
"Look how scrawny she is!" The first one laughed. "I'll bet it would only take an insecticide mine to bring her to her knees!"  
  
ChibiMoon felt herself clenching her teeth inside her closed mouth, struggling not to let the anger out of her.  
  
"She's certainly not what I expected for a future ruler for a country," The second soldier's voice was a lot closer, and ChibiMoon felt a large hand yank the tattered paper off of her bound chest. Seconds passed in silence, and the soldier called back to his partner. "Heh, what horrible luck for the poor sap that landed this catch - he got called off on other orders before he could make the delivery!"  
  
"His loss is our gain," The first soldier replied. "Hey, we've got the princess of Crystal Tokyo either way; I say we have some fun while she's up there! You up for some target practice, Byderz? I'll bet you a week's pay I can scorch a shot right through her eye!"  
  
ChibiMoon felt her blood freezing, sweat dripping down the back of her neck as she silently hoped that Gohan and Sailor Saturn caught that last remark. However, her fears were assuaged as his partner responded to him crassly.  
  
"Are you a complete idiot?! Think about how much Damos'll pay us if we bring in the princess for him alive! I'll bet we both get promoted to full captains after this one!"  
  
"Relax, relax, I was joking," ChibiMoon let out a soft breath as he heard the first soldier lifting himself into the air. "Cut her down and let's take her to Sub-Commander Silvars; he'll want a look at our prize."  
  
"Just make sure you file a report before we let Silvars know about it - slimy bastard's likely to take the credit for himself if I know him."  
  
"Heh, yeah, I know...he's definitely not commander material..." As the first soldier drifted off, ChibiMoon felt a hot beam slicing through the dangling rope, and the muscular arms of her captor tucked her tightly against his body as he soared off into the air.  
  
Well, this is it... She mused to herself as she peeked out at her surroundings - they were just flying leisurely at the moment, and she couldn't sneak a glance down at the ground without being noticed by the soldier. She only hoped that Gohan and Saturn could shadow the two grunts well enough to find the command post and bail her out of the mess she'd volunteered for.  
  
Ah, Gohan...I hope you'll be the one carrying me back to the palace after you make your heroic rescue...  
  
* * *  
  
"It's working!" Gohan cried as the two soldiers sped off through the air. He had a good read on their battle powers, and ChibiMoon's pure ki definitely assisted in keeping them in his sights. "Come on, let's go!"  
  
He snared Saturn and instantly energized, soaring after the soldiers at a generous speed. Saturn had gripped tightly onto her glaive, adjusting herself in Gohan's smaller arms.  
  
"Comfortable?" He asked nonchalantly after a while - her squirming had increased significantly. It was a bit more unwieldy to carry Sailor Saturn given the larger height discrepancy between the two, and Gohan had to twist his arms every so often to ensure that she didn't slip away.  
  
Saturn didn't answer at first, but she stammered a quick response as she tried in vain to brush her hair out of her eyes.  
  
"Couldn't be better. I'm tracking them through my own senses."  
  
"Try not to use too much energy, or else they'll detect us. Can you make a guess as to where they're going?" He called down.  
  
"Well, they are approaching a bunch of dilapidated hotel complexes on the western edge of the defense perimeter...those would probably be the most ideal places to hide soldiers."  
  
Gohan kept his senses keenly focused on the soldiers, being sure to especially lock onto Sailor ChibiMoon's pure ki in case something went wrong. Ten minutes later, the soldiers touched down in front of a particularly lofty building.  
  
"Le Fin...why didn't I think of that?" Saturn whispered as Gohan set down a block or so away. He quickly pulled both of them behind the remains of a liquor store. He quickly took a peek around the corner - the soldiers' stances and faint conversational tone was relieving; despite their relatively close proximity, they hadn't detected them.  
  
"What's Le Fin?" Gohan inquired as he closely eyed the soldiers.  
  
"The city's largest hotel suite and casino - it was one of the biggest cash cows for the entertainment industry. There was one renovation that made it stand out among most of its competitors, though."  
  
The soldiers had paused, clicking several buttons on their scouters as they lingered outside the hotel. The larger one had set ChibiMoon down on the ground next to him. Gohan could sense all of her energy, so he figured that she was doing a very respectable job of playing dead.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"The casino wasn't simply the bottom levels of the hotel - it was built completely on two expansive basement levels."  
  
"Expansive enough to hide a command post?" Gohan brightly asked.  
  
Saturn smiled back at him with a glimmer of triumph.  
  
"Definitely; now let's go get the princess before--"  
  
"Hold on a minute," Gohan gripped onto Sailor Saturn's shoulder before she could move out into the open. "They've probably got the entire area inside guarded. If we show ourselves too quickly."  
  
"True..." Saturn sounded overly annoyed at the idea of leaving the princess out in the line of fire any longer than necessary, but she was smart enough to see his logic. "If we have to sneak behind them indoors, it could get risky..."  
  
"Relax...nothing you and I can't handle, right?"  
  
"You're never lacking in confidence, are you?"  
  
The first soldier scooped up the prone ChibiMoon and made a small motion to his partner. Seconds later, both aliens strolled casually indoors.  
  
"Can you sense anything inside the lobby?" Saturn whispered to Gohan as both of them cautiously moved forward. "I can feel a lot of relaxed powers inside...all grouped together."  
  
"Yeah...about...maybe a dozen, a bit more if we're unlucky."  
  
"The front door's a bottleneck - it'd be suicide, even for you if we tried through there..."  
  
Gohan had another childish smirk on his face, taking in a deep breath.  
  
"Who said we had to use the front entrance? I'm content with going through the wall if we have to."  
  
Saturn initially rolled her eyes at Gohan's gung-ho attitude, but she didn't seem to have any viable alternatives. She threw the Saiyan boy a glance - Gohan could tell her mind was clicking.  
  
"I think I have an idea..."  
  
* * *  
  
The elevator leading up to the ground level was certainly big enough for Sub-Commander Tre'ik Silvars if he'd ridden alone, but the mindless muscle-bound duo that served as his personal bodyguards were nearly smothering him within the tight oval space. The two grunts didn't seem to mind - they were silently enduring the elevator ride even as their superior squirmed uncomfortably in the small confines.  
  
Silvars had been in a foul mood for the entire day - the humans scavenging the area had been causing nothing but trouble for his battle group for the last few days, raiding their supply convoys and making off with a significant amount of cargo. Head Commander Bortyx would've had his head just for that alone, so Silvars had planned on making it up to the commander by staging a surprise attack on the Crystal Tokyo western garrison.  
  
How the scenario should've played out still tantalized Silvars to no end - his troops would crush the western garrison and leave the north blockades in disarray. Bortyx - being the eternal strategist and opportunist - would send in the rest of the earthbound forces like a tidal wave to consume the confused masses of Crystal Tokyo scum, conquering the last remaining human stronghold in short order. Bortyx and, more importantly, General Damos, would laud his brilliance and resolve for leading the conquest of the humans. He'd nearly been delusional while envisioning the possible rewards the general could've presented him with - a place in the elite Horde, command of a starship, perhaps even his own planet.  
  
Things had been going well despite the claims by the field commanders that their troops were under-prepared. Silvars had waved off the concerns without a second thought - after all, the frail humans were attacking with nothing but common swords and had no experience with ki warfare whatsoever; how tough could one garrison possible be against his men?  
  
But reports of stonewalling near the edge of the sector by Crystal Tokyo forces had been when everything had started to go horribly wrong. Reports from fleeing units had identified several of the new Mystery Mercenaries as the leaders of the counter-offensive, and before Silvars could request reinforcements from his outlying squads, the entire company had been routed, with only five or six coming back alive out of a group of nearly forty.  
  
The loss would've been relatively minor in the long run, but Head Commander Bortyx had been furious when he'd inquired about the unscheduled ambush. Forty soldiers had been wasted needlessly, something that Bortyx's ruthless efficiency despised above all else. In between the commander's ranting and raving, Silvars had managed to conveniently shift the blame over to his now-ex-second-in-command. The circumstances were dubious, but with Bortyx in such a rage, he'd taken out his frustrations on the accused without question, and Silvars head hadn't been the one chopped off.  
  
The men had been giving him murderous glances since the communications with Bortyx, but Silvars spat at them within his mind. What did he care if his grunts thought him a coward? He was the commander of the west battalions; it hadn't been his fault that forty men couldn't deal with a mere handful of unknowns. Why should he have taken the fall for their weaknesses?  
  
His mood had become elevated when two of his scouts had reported their capture of the human princess - Silvars hadn't been able to believe his luck. Damos and Bortyx would certainly forget about the small smear once he presented the girl to them.  
  
He smirked even as the bicep of one of his guards caught him in his right eye.  
  
Starship Commander Silvars...Horde elite Silvars...Overlord Sil--  
  
A sudden tremor violently shook the elevator, and the sub-commander was thrown onto his back. One of his guards was also unbalanced by the powerful shock, he stumbled and fell backward onto his superior. Silvars screeched and flailed his arms as his lungs were compressed.  
  
"Dammit...! Get off'n me, you clumsy fool!!"  
  
The guard jumped up as another tremor caused the elevator to shudder. Silvars was thrown back against the steel wall, banging his head.  
  
"By the Cold, what is it now!!" He cried out, though he already hypothesized that they were under attack. "Contact the lobby security!!!"  
  
The second guard quickly tapped into the scouter, opening a link to the ground level soldiers. Silvars felt his pulse racing again - how could they have discovered their location? And where had they accumulated enough resources to launch an attack this surgical and effective?  
  
"-attack, I repeat, we are under attack!!" A frantic voice - Silvars recognized it as the Security Chief Dy'one - spilled out of the scouter's crackling vocal circuitry. After another powerful shock, the link was shattered, and the guard's scouter only spewed obnoxious, useless static.  
  
Silvars felt his blood boiling - the two squads of aerial defenders that were supposed to be patrolling the area outside the facility would be compost when he was through with them. He furiously jammed the buttons on his scouter, attempting to reach anyone that he could.  
  
"My perimeter defenders!! Where the hell are they?!!" He grew more and more agitated as he received repeated responses of nothing but static.  
  
"Excuse me, sir, but..." The first of his bodyguards stuttered uneasily as Silvars turned his reddening eyes toward him. "You sent them out as part of the attack wave...none of them came back, and reinforcements won't be here for another hour..."  
  
Silvars felt his heart sink, his breath catching in his throat.  
  
"Damn it all, why didn't someone inform me of that before I committed them to the offensive?!! You're all worthless!!"  
  
The elevator controls had gone offline after the first explosion, and the two guards were looking startled and clueless.  
  
"Now, don't just stand there, you morons!! Blast us out of here and get up there!!" He barked at them.  
  
The two soldiers readily complied, firing a pair of ki blasts that tore through the roof of the elevator as if the metal was paper. The robust duo was quickly out through the small opening and soaring up the darkened shaft toward the ground level.  
  
Silvars rubbed the back of his head and groggily stood up. However, before he could blast off, he felt the oval-shaped cubicle falling victim to gravity - the two imbeciles had vaporized the support cables for the elevator when they had blasted their way out.  
  
The elevator picked up speed, throwing Silvars off his feet once more, and it was all the sub-commander could do to scream as the module plummeted to the lowest basement of the complex.  
  
* * *  
  
Sailor Saturn - much like the rest of the Outer Soldiers - wasn't altogether comfortable with the idea of uncertainty in a battle situation; after all, through their experiences, taking gambles almost always led to disaster. Even as she'd explained her plan to the attentive Gohan, the rational part of her mind had been berating her for even considering such suicidal nonsense.  
  
But at the moment, it seemed that her moment of spontaneity had paid off - she'd rushed the main entrance of the complex with all the speed she could muster - the initial trio of guards conversing near the doorway hadn't seen her Silence Glaive Surprise attack until it was too late. She'd been satisfied with the results - all three had been torn to shreds by the attack; it relieved her that she was still effective in some way against the aliens.  
  
Of course, the remaining guards had been on her like a pack of wolves - had it not been for her Silence Wall, their ki blasts and fists would've shredded her almost immediately.  
  
Gohan had been quick to play his part, using his Masenko beam to explode a rather large section of wall adjacent to the main entrance. The beam was so powerful that it incinerated the entire west wing of the lobby, including entire crates of equipment and portable security stations. The crushing wave of attackers had been swept back by the force of the blast alone, and it had nicely fried several of the ranged gun-equipped soldiers.  
  
With some breathing room, Gohan and Sailor Saturn had taken a bead on the left flank of the attackers, where most of them were grouped. After a combined attack of a Masenko beam and another Silence Glaive Surprise attack, the bulk of the alien guards were sprawled on the ruined floor, dead or mortally injured. Only a handful of the startled enemies remained standing.  
  
"Almost too easy," Gohan proudly surveyed his handiwork, the fierce glow of the energy surrounding him beginning to dissipate. "Now where is--"  
  
"Stay back!!" One of the remaining soldiers barked toward them from the back of the lobby. Sailor Saturn recognized him as one of the soldiers who'd been carrying the captive princess; she immediately raised her glaive defensively - the soldier had a stranglehold on ChibiMoon and was using her as a human shield with an energized fist at her right temple. Saturn and Gohan didn't move.  
  
The soldier had been slightly injured in the initial attack - blood oozed from a deep wound in his side, and blood was dribbling down his left cheek. He had a crazed look in his eye, and his glowing fist trembled precariously. ChibiMoon was struggling to breathe under the strain of the soldier's large forearm, and she was looking somewhat terrified.  
  
"I'll put a hole right through her head!! Get back!!!" He screamed as his remaining comrades rallied to him. Before Saturn and Gohan could move, the metal doors of one of the deadened elevators at the back of the lobby erupted. As the steel bits of the elevator doors skipped across the lobby floor, two larger-than-average soldiers zipped through the smoke.  
  
"Terrific..." Gohan mumbled to himself as his eyes darted back and forth between the twin giants and ChibiMoon's captors. He was clearly thinking of rushing the mob nonetheless, but the risk was too great, especially with the soldier's weakened physical condition and shaky arm. "Now what?"  
  
Saturn growled in frustration, her anger rising as she studied the fearful expression on the faces of the soldiers. They all appeared to recognize and revere Gohan, and the fact that he was accompanied by a Sailor Soldier had put them into a state of near panic; they'd been reduced to cowering behind a human shield, her best friend, no less, the same best friend who she'd been powerless to save the previous evening.  
  
She felt her anger beginning to condense around her, feeding her energy - for a brief instant, she felt her Sailor Soldier form overtaking her mind, the pure rage and her potent energies coalescing into a powerful combination. These damned cowards didn't deserve to breathe Earth's air; she had to cleanse them from--  
  
"I'll get her!!" A shout from her left broke her flow, and Gohan zipped along the wrecked left side of the lobby in the direction of the gang. Saturn stared after him with astonished and exasperation - that clueless boy was endangering the princess even more than she already was with such an action; his idiotic scheming had gotten them into this mess to begin with.  
  
The soldiers behind ChibiMoon's captor finally resolved on a course of action; as Gohan zipped past the lumbering duo that had just crashed through the elevator, each of them took their turns at Gohan.  
  
Saturn shifted her gaze to the one holding the princess, scowling even more as he began to back up nervously. Gohan was already downing two of his comrades as the larger ones began to close in from behind, and the glowing fist was looking even shakier.  
  
"No..." She whispered, releasing the stored energy. She felt herself surging forward, carried by the weight of her own power toward the unsuspecting guard. "No!!"  
  
Her glaive skewered the already ugly wound in the guard's side - he let out an agonized scream as the energy in his hand suddenly dissipated. Seeing her opportunity, Saturn yanked the glaive out of the soldier's side and drove deep into his exposed throat. Letting out a liquidy gasp, the soldier's tight hold on ChibiMoon was broken and the princess fell to the ground.  
  
Saturn waited until the dying alien crumpled onto his knees, a waterfall of blood draining out of his throat. She stared at the thug with pure contempt, enjoying the sight of him letting out his last death spasms before becoming motionless on the floor.  
  
"Bastard..." She murmured, yanking the glaive out of the corpse's throat. As she soaked in the sight of the bloody mess, Sailor Saturn felt the cloud of rage around her fading away, and she began to calm herself, her pulse slowing down. She bent down and undid the rope holding the princess, helping her dazed friend up to her feet. "Are you okay, ChibiMoon?"  
  
"Fine now, thanks to the two of you..." She stuttered, holding her head - she'd banged it on the way down. "I never get used to that look in your eye when you...get that way."  
  
Sailor Saturn faltered a bit, staring back at the corpse of the soldier that she'd so been so satisfied to watch die in front of her. She relished in his anguish and the obscene amount of blood flowing down his chest. She didn't respond to the princess - she'd already seen it happen to her before, when the darker side of her Sailor Soldier form took over.  
  
"You guys?" Gohan's voice broke the icy silence, and it took Sailor Saturn a moment to realize that he'd finished with the security guards. Their broken, bleeding bodies were strewn about the floor, including the mammoth carcasses of the twin goliaths that had joined late. "I'm glad you're okay - that was a close call."  
  
"Gohan!" ChibiMoon cried in elation, throwing her arms around his neck. "I knew you'd be here! I wasn't worried, not for a bit!"  
  
Saturn scowled - of all the times to become lovesick.  
  
Gohan wasn't sure how to react - he stared at the blushing ChibiMoon blankly for a moment before offering a warm smile.  
  
"I'm just keeping my promise, that's all!"  
  
"I'm sure..." Saturn was still overly annoyed - she cast a small glare over at Gohan in light of his latest instance of irrationality. And how could ChibiMoon fall all over him without as much as a 'thank you' to her?  
  
And there's that aforementioned promise again.such a hero, and everything. And while he didn't react in an overly positive manner to ChibiMoon's smothering affection, it did remind her briefly of the aerial trip to the complex - she had to admit that despite flying at such an altitude, she'd felt completely safe with Gohan, as if nothing could go wrong.  
  
She decided to shrug it off - there were more important things to accomplish at the moment.  
  
"So this is where the command post is?" ChibiMoon asked. "It makes sense; I would've thought of it eventually."  
  
Saturn ignored the quip.  
  
"They're probably coordinating the soldiers from the basement levels. Considering the equipment they had here, who knows what's down below."  
  
"You said the levels were deep and expansive.I don't think I could generate a Masenko wave that could completely destroy the place, at least without risking attention from any other enemy forces."  
  
"I think it would be better if we completely went through the place first anyhow, just to make sure nobody survives. We can even gather some intelligence on enemy activity if we're lucky enough."  
  
Gohan pounded a fist into an open palm.  
  
"Let's fly down the shaft, they'll never--"  
  
"Attack...attack...!!!!" A shrieking voice rang out from the empty elevator shaft. "Don't stop, you idiots, kill them all!!"  
  
"Somebody's coming!" The three backed away from the open doorway as the ranting voice grew louder. Apparently, whoever was down there thought there was still a battle going on.  
  
"His battle power's not very high..." Gohan mused as he readied himself.  
  
After half a minute of waiting, a small armored figure appeared out of the blackness of the shaft. Sailor Saturn lowered her glaive - the purple squid-like alien was noticeably bruised and cut, and bits of his armor had been chipped off. From the far-away look in his eyes, she guessed that he had little or no clue as to what he was doing.  
  
"Vic...victory...for Damos...victory...for...Sub-commander Silvars," He stumbled back against the wall, shaking his head and attempting to clear the cobwebs. Finally, he seemed to notice the trio. He straightened himself, putting forth a somewhat dignified aura. "Y...you!! How dare you assault the army of Sub-commander Silvars!! You shall pay for this outrage!! Guards!!"  
  
His bellow resonated throughout the lofty chamber, but only silence answered him.  
  
"What the...?" Silvars glanced feverishly around at the broken bodies. "Where are my two personal bodyguards!! I sent them up a minute ago!"  
  
Sailor ChibiMoon leaned over and whispered to Sailor Saturn.  
  
"I think he's referring to the big guys that Gohan beat up earlier."  
  
Saturn shook her head at the skittish little vermin - if this was the kind of command structure that Damos's army possessed, then she would have felt embarrassed that they'd been losing against them this whole time.  
  
Silvars's gaze eventually landed on Gohan, and he let out a horrified gasp. His maw hung open as he thrust a gloved arm in Gohan's direction.  
  
"You...I haven't forgotten your face from the Priority Listings.you're the one who beat Captain Infernia!!"  
  
"Me?" Gohan approached the trembling commander calmly. Saturn couldn't fault him for lack of defense - the only energies emanating from the alien were fearful ones. As the boy slowly approached him, Silvars nearly stumbled backward and fell. He was deathly afraid of the boy. "Well, now that you're here, could you tell me who's charge of this place?"  
  
For a brief instant, Silvars appeared indignant.  
  
"Little...urchin!! I am the commander of the forces stationed in this region. You've...you've no right to speak to me like that, the gall!!"  
  
Gohan studied the alien officer carefully, shaking his head.  
  
"Nah, you couldn't possibly be in charge here," he concluded nonchalantly. Silvars gaped at the remark. "I mean, your soldiers had us in a bit of a fix back there and they were much more capable than you were. The commander for those guys has to be much stronger and tougher than you are."  
  
"Why you miserable...!!!"  
  
Silvars looked bold enough to take a swing at Gohan, but as a small bit of dust trickled down onto both of them from the damaged ceiling, Gohan suddenly reared his head back and let out a monstrous sneeze.  
  
"He'll be caught off--"  
  
Saturn was about to move - Silvars could've capitalized on him if he was temporarily occupied - but the sudden jolting move had triggered the officer's wired nerves, and he'd jumped back so far that he tumbled down the open door of the elevator shaft. Saturn heard the alien's shrieking voice reverberate all the way down until she heard him slam into the ground several stories below them.  
  
"Ouch..." ChibiMoon cringed, but she was fighting to suppress a laugh. "What a loser."  
  
Gohan lifted his head up, sniffling a bit.  
  
"Uggh, excuse me," He absently said, glancing around. "Hey, where'd he go?"  
  
Saturn moved forward and patted Gohan on the shoulder.  
  
"Relax, he's moved on to better things. He wouldn't have been worth the trouble anyway."  
  
* * *  
  
Silvars found himself staring up into the blackness of the elevator shift. His resistant skin and armor had saved from certain death at within the ruins of his elevator cubicle, but oh, the unrelenting pain.  
  
Bad dream...yeah, that's it...two Sailor Soldiers and one of the Mystery Mercenaries didn't just obliterate a quarter of my remaining staff and ruin the security equipment...  
  
In the back of his mind, he knew that wishful thinking couldn't help him - with the perimeter breached, they would be down looking for more trouble in a matter of seconds. They'd been courageous and brash enough to tear their way this far...Bortyx was going to have his head if the damage reports ever got to him. Considering the potency of the boy alone...  
  
Silvars glanced upward, already detecting movement in the shadows from the lobby elevator entrance. They were coming, coming for him, coming for his career and life...  
  
By now, the additional guards within the lower levels of the facility had gotten wind that something was wrong, and a small contingent was rushing toward the ruined elevator and their downed commander.  
  
One of them - a high sergeant from his markings - bent down to inspect the injured sub-commander.  
  
"Sir? What of the lobby security forces? We've lost all radio contact."  
  
Silvars weakly lifted his throbbing head, feeling bones pop in the back of his stiffened neck.  
  
"In...coming...kill...them..." He squeaked before blacking out.  
  
* * *  
  
"I'm reading a lot of battle powers down there..." Gohan murmured as he peered down the hollow, dark shaft. "This won't be easy."  
  
"We haven't come this far, right?" ChibiMoon brightly reminded him. "Besides, I get the feeling we can take on anything as long as you're leading the way."  
  
"Oh, brother..." Saturn was beginning to feel her stomach turn - ChibiMoon had been known for laying it on thick with her love interests, but this was becoming absurd.  
  
Gohan hovered out into the pitch darkness of the vertical tunnel, motioning for Saturn and ChibiMoon to come to the shaft's edge.  
  
"I'll take point - they'll probably be waiting for us down there," He suggested. Saturn shook her head - Gohan's eagerness to mete out justice was tireless, and his strength and endurance rivaled his resolve easily. "Think you guys can handle a fall from this height?"  
  
"We can fly a little, don't forget," Saturn told him, holding up the blood-covered glaive. "Just give us enough room and we'll be fine."  
  
"See you at the bottom!" He gave them one last smile before energizing and zipping downward, the white energy trail illuminating the tunnel and making him appear like a falling star.  
  
"Isn't he wonderful..." ChibiMoon muttered dreamily to herself. Saturn took her long glaive in one hand and her partner's wrist in the other.  
  
"We'll wait until he 'introduces' himself to the rest of our enemies, then we'll follow," She explained as ChibiMoon drew out her scepter. "This could get ugly...we don't know what exactly they'll throw at us once we get down there."  
  
"Let's just stick together, watch our backs like always," ChibiMoon proposed. "We've lived to see this far, so we have to win!"  
  
A brilliant explosion of red-orange energy at the bottom of the shaft nearly blinded them. As Saturn squeezed her eyes closed to ward off the effects of the awesome light, she heard the faint echoing of energy blasts being fired and fists crunching.  
  
"Let's go!" Saturn yanked on Sailor ChibiMoon's wrist, and both went soaring down into the darkness toward their comrade, and hopefully toward victory.  
  
* * *  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now currently proceeding to our final destination, the New Planet of the North Kaio. If you'd please prepare for departure, we'll be arriving within a few moments," the airplane pilot's calm and friendly voice informed the remaining occupants of the craft - only the five Sailor Soldiers - as the thick, unwieldy craft dipped toward a small green planetoid.  
  
As Pluto continued to stare outward at the prism-like void outside their transport craft, her fascination continued to grow with the realization of Heaven's makeup. No legend or mythology in Earth's history had reflected the true nature of what this place was - a metaphysical realm without the limitations of the lesser galaxies, its own self-contained system of planets that were not dependent on any source of heat or a balanced atmosphere. It was essentially the Universe, without the taxing physical demands. The more Pluto pondered the idea, the more she began to realize that such a concept truly was bliss, at least for humans.  
  
Sailor Pluto stretched her arms and legs and stood from the velvet- cushioned chair. Peering behind her, she noticed her four comrades doing the same, though she noticed that Sailor Jupiter was wide awake, alert, and as fidgety as she was at the start of the trip. A neutral expression was on her face, which pleased Sailor Pluto - she'd been glad enough that Jupiter had faced and conquered her fear.  
  
Jupiter caught the time guardian's gaze, smiling and standing up, stretching her back.  
  
"My first airplane trip since I was small," She remarked. "Ironic that it's taken me here, the same place it took my parents."  
  
"Will you attempt to locate them during our time here, if you're given a chance?" She inquired.  
  
"Of course! I have to see what they've been up to for all these years," She excitedly told her. "But the prospect of getting stronger on the side is giving me even more energy."  
  
"I've been thinking though," Sailor Mars had her arms folded and was comfortably sunken into her chair. "Lord Enma mentioned that this guy was a martial arts master - I doubt this will be merely a mental power upgrade like we've experienced before."  
  
"I've been pondering that myself," Sailor Mercury, comfortably seated by the circular glass window, added after a small yawn. "I'm not exactly certain if I'm cut out for hardcore martial arts if that's what this training entails."  
  
Jupiter and Venus both look unconcerned; being the most physically active members out of the current group, Sailor Pluto could understand their confidence.  
  
"Can't be anything we can't handle - after all, it's not like we're going to die if we strain ourselves," Venus reminded them as she stood up. "Besides, the letter from the Guardian of the past Earth said it would take time before all those artifacts could be gathered. We'll have plenty of time to get ourselves in shape."  
  
"I'll take much time as necessary," Jupiter vowed, cracking her neck. "If we can become as strong as Tridyx was, then no army could possibly stand in our way, even those aliens!"  
  
"Sailor Pluto, have you ever heard of this Lord Kaio?" Sailor Mars asked. "Throughout all my years, I've never come across his name in my scrolls."  
  
"Your studies are not lacking, Mars; even I know less about him than I did about Lord Enma," Pluto shook her head. "Though from his title, I would gather that he is a being of unfathomable energy - he's more than likely existed far longer than even Lord Enma himself."  
  
"Then he's got to have the greatest fighting skill than any master I've ever studied under on Earth," Jupiter hypothesized. "This is going to be great! The secrets of fighting laid bare right in front of me!"  
  
"Easy there, Jupiter..." Venus play-punched her friend in the shoulder. "Looks like we're coming down. Let's get moving - we don't want to be late!"  
  
The five Sailor Soldiers moved toward the back of the plane as it touched down on a miniature stone runway on the south end of the planet. Sailor Pluto took a deep breath - not much was completely unknown to her, which may've explained the relentless anticipation that was building inside of her. She was looking forward to this meeting.  
  
* * *  
  
"Well, they're here, right on time."  
  
"Excellent! I haven't had any students for centuries.I hope their spunk and bravado are as legendary as the stories I've heard about them."  
  
"They'd certainly make some terrific sparring partners.please, can I have a crack at one of them?"  
  
"No, not right away. I have to see if they're worthy of the training first; if they pass the initial tests, then maybe I'll set you loose on them. For now, you can be content to stay here and observe."  
  
"You did promise. That's why I made the trip over here!"  
  
"Calm down, child. You'll get your chance if my suspicions about their abilities are correct. And you know often I'm correct."  
  
"Okay, okay...the usual method, I guess?"  
  
"As always. It turns out the best pupils."  
  
Adjusting his glasses and straightening his gi, he stepped outside.  
  
* * *  
  
The runway was remarkably close to the only visible structure within the immediate area. A grand, palatial estate stood tall nearby, its exterior a brilliant, flawless shade of white with rivers leading out from its source.  
  
"Can you believe this..." Sailor Mars couldn't help but stare with the rest of them at the wondrous place around them. Aside from the runway and the splendid building nearby, they were completely embraced by nature on the tiny world. Thick grasslands spread for miles around them, broken off by thick forests on the horizon. Small rivers cut through the land with pure crystalline water, untouched by humanoid beings. Though no sun could be found, somehow, it was light, like the middle of the afternoon.  
  
"It was nearing the beginning of autumn back home..." Sailor Venus took a long sniff of the fresh air as a wonderfully warm breeze swept by them. "It feels like a perfect day in spring..."  
  
Sailor Jupiter dropped down into the grass - it nearly enveloped her, like a blanket.  
  
"Is this Eternity?" She muttered as she gazed dreamily up into the cloudless sky. "Give me an occasional snowfall...and I'll be happy."  
  
Sailor Pluto concurred - she hadn't nearly felt this relaxed for some time, especially by just standing around doing nothing. The environment was quite naturally perfect - a flawless mix between warmth and coolness.  
  
Though she wished they could bask in the sights for a longer time, she already felt a twinge of power pricking at her senses, nagging her away from her daydream-come-to-life. Somebody was approaching from the extravagant palace.  
  
"Let's go and meet him," Sailor Mercury suggested. "Maybe he can direct us to Lord Kaio."  
  
The Sailor Soldiers gathered themselves and approached the figure. As they closed distance, Sailor Mars noticed that the humanoid was short, nearly squat. His extensive girth and a gi that engulfed his entire body gave him the appearance of a giant black-and-red rubber ball - Mars had to stifle a laugh as the comparison rang in her mind.  
  
The creature's round face mirrored the clear blue sky above them, and tendrils resembling those of a catfish dangled from the bottoms of his plump cheeks. A thin pair of circular sunglasses encircled his beady eyes and sat below a pair of cricket-like antennae, and a small cap sat atop pointed ears and a perfectly spherical head. He bore a warm, peaceful expression on his round face, something Sailor Mars remembered from her old grandfather.  
  
Finally, they caught up with the catfish-creature. Instead of introductions, however, the pale blue being glanced all of them over, occasionally muttering something incoherent under his breath.  
  
The Sailor Soldiers glanced back and forth at each other wordlessly as the strange being continued his study. Finally, Sailor Jupiter offered to break the awkward silence.  
  
"Excuse me, but could you tell us where we could find the martial arts master, Lord Kaio?"  
  
The beady-eyed creature glanced over at her, laughing a bit.  
  
"My, but don't you have a powerful frame! Sailor Jupiter, warrior of thunder!" He nearly cackled. "They say you're as tough as they come on Earth." His twin antennae flickered, and suddenly Jupiter's own antenna that she used to channel her thunder attacks sprang out of her tiara. Electricity crackled up and down the creature's antennae, and Jupiter's tiara responded similarly, much to her surprise. "It appears we're on the same wavelength, you and I."  
  
He motioned to the wire-thin tentacles with a wild laugh.  
  
"You wouldn't believe how many channels I can get with these things!"  
  
"Don't mess with that!" Jupiter had been slightly frazzled by the zaps of thunder on her tiara, and she deactivated it of her own will and shot a glare toward the rolly-polly creature. "My powers are not a toy!"  
  
He held up his grubby hands in mock defense.  
  
"Please, Ms. Jupiter," He said. "Don't thunder so loudly, you might cause a storm!"  
  
With this quip, he suddenly burst out laughing, almost uncontrollably. Jupiter became more agitated at the horrid pun, though she had no immediate response to it, much like her comrades. Mars gaped with disbelief at Mercury - not even the queen's oddball sense of humor would've permitted such a terrible line...  
  
"Now, now, moving along, moving along..." He collected himself, going from left to right in proclaiming the names of the remaining Sailor Soldiers. "Sailor Venus, Sailor Mercury.bah, you have me confused - why does one who hails from a rock of a planet such as Mercury have the power to control water?"  
  
Sailor Mercury backpedaled a step, stammering for a response. The blue creature simply laughed more.  
  
"No need to sort out the details with me - after all, on that planet during a drought, things just go from one ex-stream to another! Bwaha, I'm on a roll today!"  
  
"Wha...er...huh??" Venus was standing next to Mercury, arching her eyebrows in astonishment.  
  
The being turned toward her next, leaning backward and forming his hands in the shape of square, a pseudo-reference to a stereotypical director.  
  
"Ah, Sailor Venus, like Venus de Milo," He said. Venus, though still somewhat confused seemed to appreciate the compliment. "You know, a friend of mine once told me that Venus de Milo was his favorite statue from Earth."  
  
"R...really?" She stuttered.  
  
"Yes, he said it very disarmingly!" He broke out into another laughing fit, and Sailor Venus grew red in the face - Mars tried to restrain her from doing anything rash, reminding her about what happened when they'd acted so crassly on the bridge outside the Judgment Seat.  
  
"Sailor Mars, the great voice of reason!" He had calmed himself, using a mock-booming voice as he observed the fire soldier. She attempted to reach into his mind and ascertain what exactly the stout creature was, but something was keeping her senses out - either he had more capable mental powers than she did, or he was at least better at keeping other people out of his mind for whatever reason. "Uh-uh, no fair peeking!"  
  
He gave a teasing wag of his finger, and Sailor Mars jumped back, fearing that she'd damned herself for the effort.  
  
"No need to be shocked, I get that sort of reaction a lot," His reaction suddenly grew stoic, all of the incessant humor melting away in an instant. "They say you can read fire as good as minds.is this true?"  
  
Sailor Mars attempted to be respectful.  
  
"Well...yes, of course, better than anybody!"  
  
"Then, may I ask you this?" He leaned in close to her. "...Do you believe in light after death?"  
  
Mars nearly fell over as the small blue creature skipped along to Sailor Pluto, who was looking perturbed but slightly calmer than the rest of the girls. Mars threw a glance over to the steamed Sailor Venus - who did this little prankster think he was humiliating them like that?  
  
"I assume you're going to try pulling a pun about time on me, little man," She sternly said to him. "I'm way ahead of you."  
  
"Ah, yes," The creature adjusted his glasses, seeming more reverent of Sailor Pluto. "The great guardian of time is never surprised - can you always see which way time flies, Ms. Pluto?"  
  
"You seem to know enough about us, you should know about my experiences guarding the Gates of Time. I performed that task for centuries upon centuries."  
  
"Excuse me, could you run that past me again?" He cupped one hand to his large pointed ear.  
  
"What? You heard me loud and clear!"  
  
"Sorry, Ms. Pluto," He shrugged casually. "You know how it is: in one era and out the other!"  
  
"He got her, too..." Venus said with a hint of defeat as the strange blue creature fell to the ground laughing. Pluto had seemed like she wanted to respond, but she was just staring down at the small being with a mixture of bewilderment and contempt. "He's unstoppable..."  
  
"I don't have time for this!" Jupiter roared. "Listen, we don't have time for these games!! We're looking for the Lord Kaio, the great martial arts master that's supposed to live here!! Can you tell us where he is, or not?!"  
  
After half a minute of listening to the creature's annoying laughter, he finally kipped up to his feet with surprising ease. He stood proudly and erect, thrusting out his chest a bit and speaking with a more dignified tone.  
  
"Look no further, Sailor Jupiter!" He bellowed. "For you have found him!" 


	14. Lessons?

Chapter 14: Lessons...?

There was much that Sailor Mercury accepted about the Universe with her expansive internal library of scientific expertise, and even with all of her knowledge of the Old Era, living through a cataclysm that could've potentially wiped out all life on Earth made almost any phenomena worth considering and investigating. That's what she loved so much about Crystal Tokyo – there were limitless possibilities, and her powers had always aided her well in quenching her thirst for new knowledge.

But there was one singular notion that even her tolerance forbade.

The stout, cackling, catfish-like entity proudly standing before them could not have been a master of martial arts. It just wasn't conceivable. He didn't have the sufficient build of anything resembling a warrior, he certainly lacked the focus and solemnity that she'd seen out of greater martial artists, and most of the energies he did have were directed toward his alleged sense of humor.

One ex-stream to another... She shook her head in revulsion.

No, this was only a prankster, and a lousy one at that – she assumed that this current stance of his was another of his 'jokes.'

Apparently, her comrades echoed her internal sentiment; Jupiter looked ready to lunge forward and strangle the creature.

"Okay, ha, ha, ha, how amusing, what a comedian, blah, blah, blah," She gave him a dismissive wave of his hand. "Cut it out already, we're being serious. If you don't know where he is, just say so!"

That stole some wind from the creature's sails, and his protruding girth sagged a bit, his maw drooping in an incredulous gape.

"You...don't believe me?" He gasped at first, but he suddenly straightened himself up, looking as proud of himself as he'd been moments earlier. "Bwa ha, I understand! They didn't tell you much about me down at Lord Enma's station, did they?"

"Wait a second, how did you know that...?" Venus began before the creature guffawed again.

"That's the problem down there these days...whenever wars break out at the same time in the Universe, it's a nightmare for Lord Enma. He never has time to share details anymore, it's a shame – then again, any job without sick days or paid vacations is bound to be troublesome..."

"Wars?" Mercury said, drawing the would-be martial arts master away from his rambling. "Are you referring to the war on Earth as well? You know?"

He tapped his spherical head as he approached Sailor Mercury.

"Ah, there isn't much that I don't know – I told you," He motioned again to his antennae. "I get all kinds of great reception with these things. I've been eyeing the war on Earth for some time, though I was hardly ever expecting to cross paths with beings from that world again, after that last excitable bunch."

"Would you..." Sailor Mercury tried to act friendly, putting on a cheerful smile as she activated her visor. "...mind if I did something? You know, just for us to be sure?"

The creature studied the instrument carefully before giving a curt nod to the Sailor Soldier.

"As long as it's not an x-ray visor, it's fine by me if it proves my identity to you," He informed her. "After all, you'd be searching this planet for a long time unless you accepted that I am the one you're looking for."

Mercury brought the visor's internal circuitry online and activated the scanners. The creature gazed curiously at the flashing gold characters that zipped by on the blue-tinted instrument.

"I was never one for technology," He adjusted his glasses. "And I've certainly never heard of a computer being able to work without a keyboard or something like that."

"I used to have one connected to this thing, but time and study have given me better advantages," Mercury explained as the visor's scanners swept the creature's body. That caused him to jump a bit; he recoiled as the soft light from the device covered every square inch of his girth. "My powers and our technology have developed enough over the years that I can input the various commands with my mind..."

She trailed off as the data readouts came pouring through the visor's viewing screen. Mercury narrowed her gaze – the scanners had picked up enormous quantities of unknown energy, and the equipment was apparently so unfamiliar with the pattern that it couldn't even discern how potent it was. Sailor Mercury reported as such to her comrades, and they all shared a sigh of disappointment.

Even the creature seemed to be growing impatient, shaking his head as Mercury deactivated her visor.

"Bah, technology is no way to measure skill, technique, or prowess," He chided. "You can do whatever math equations you want on someone's muscles, speed, and size, but no amount of data in the world can map how well a fighter uses those attributes. I know this from experience!"

"Hang on, we're not through yet," Sailor Mars stepped in front of the creature, looking down at him. "You said yourself that I had the power to read minds. Can I discern your internal attributes with my skills?"

"If you're good enough, I suppose; and truth be told, I did say that your mind-reading skills were nearly unmatched."

He effortlessly lifted himself into the air, floating at eye level with the tall Sailor Mars.

"However, if you dive inside my mind, stay out of the right side of my brain, eh?" He guffawed again. "The creative juices in there are trade secrets – you'll find all the information you need in the left side."

Mars lowered her eyes at the boisterous laughing, wordlessly raising her hands and touching them softly to the creature's temples. She tightly squeezed her eyes shut, and she remained motionless as she attempted to delve into the squat entity's mind. Minutes began to pass, stretching onward from five, to ten, to fifteen. Sailor Mercury folded her arms anxiously – a normal being's mind wasn't difficult to penetrate at all according to Mars, and she was beginning to wonder if the fire soldier had ventured too far inside; Mercury was tempted to rush over and pull her off if she began showing signs of strain.

Jupiter and Venus were whispering to themselves nearby as Mars continued to work, and Sailor Pluto was observing the scene carefully, almost with a faint glimmer of hope that this would be the deciding test. Finally, as nearly twenty minutes passed, Sailor Mars released her grip, letting out a long breath. She bent down, panting heavily as beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. Mercury was quick to hurry over to her – from what Mars had told her about her mental probing abilities, they could wear her out just as easily as a physical fight.

"What's the verdict?" Jupiter asked impatiently. "What did you see?"

Mars took a second to answer, gazing up at the smirking creature with sheer wonder.

"A lot...more than I expected," She wheezed. "But it's him...this is Lord Kaio."

"Ta-da!" He burst out. "You're as good as I suspected, Sailor Mars! But I think you were probing for more than just my identity – you made a few unnecessary detours while you were driving through my mind." Mars looked momentarily embarrassed, but Lord Kaio helped her to her feet. "You know, I don't know how you can combine your fire powers with mind-reading."

"What's so special about that? I've been doing it since I was little."

Mercury heard some chuckles escaping from Lord Kaio's sealed jaw.

"Well, you know, smoke and dynamite...they really blow your mind! Bwa ha!! That was perfect!!"

As more ceaseless laughter erupted from Lord Kaio's maw, Mercury felt a collective groan from the remaining Sailor Soldiers, the nonsensical atmosphere returning to them.

"Listen, ahem, 'Lord Kaio,'" Sailor Venus, still looking irritated beyond belief from the martial arts master's initial puns, brushed some of her blonde hair out of her face and stood with a defiant expression. "I don't know whose time you think you're wasting, but we were sent up here to train under you, not spend time sharing stupid jokes!"

At this remark, Lord Kaio immediately halted his laughter, his round face reddening as he glared daggers into the Sailor Soldiers. Venus recoiled – the jolly creature looked immensely offended.

"Stupid jokes, eh?" He retorted. "Well, it's my time that's being wasted if all of you are as bland as I'm seeing now. Besides, do you think I just dilly-dally around here all day waiting for a solemn bunch such as yourselves to come falling from the sky? I'm a busy man, and my schedule won't allow the likes of you!"

He spun on his heel, appearing ready to storm away.

"My point being, I absolutely refuse to train anybody without a sense of humor!"

Oh, no, he's starting to walk off, think, think, think...

Before Lord Kaio could move, Mercury burst out with the fakest laughter she'd ever conjured up. She quickly motioned with subtle facial expressions to her bewildered comrades – none of whom had ever seen the water soldier act so raucously – to follow along, lest they lose their opportunity to train under the great master.

"Ah, smoke and dynamite, haha, I get it now!" She had succeeded in getting Lord Kaio to stop his departure, and Mars, Jupiter, and Venus were beginning to chime in with laughter of their own; as Kaio began to turn back toward them, Jupiter even gave Sailor Mars a hearty slam on the back for good measure. The ploy seemed to work, as Lord Kaio's friendly smile returned.

"Ah-hah, that's more like it!" He said to them. "Very well then, I believe I will give you the chance to train under me after all. I have nothing better to do for a while anyhow!"

Mercury was about to comment on the discrepancy, but she wisely kept her mouth closed.

"Now then, in preparation for this, I have already learned much about your unique abilities and your histories as protectors of Earth," He explained. "I've also been acquainted with the fighting techniques of your current enemies, as well. And while your powers have served you well in the past, I believe that the most effective way of increasing your skill is to learn how to accustom yourselves to their style of warfare."

"Wait, wait, wait..." Sailor Venus objected. "Are you suggesting that we abandon our powers for the sake of theirs?"

"Certainly not!" Kaio replied as he held up a chubby finger. "Your greatest powers come from your alternate forms and the planets attached to them – it simply would be asinine to wipe the slate clean and start anew. It would take years of retraining before you could be as potent as you are now."

Sailor Mercury noted the compliment; she despised the alien style of war – its entire purpose was nothing but destruction and unmaking. No other benefit could come from it; what more, it seemed to require a baser, primitive mind to control it. The balance being tipped toward raw power grated Sailor Mercury – how could a warrior function without complete control over their mind?

"What I was suggesting," Lord Kaio was saying. "Is that you'll need to integrate their prowess into your magical skills. I'm certain you've admired their blinding, faster-than-light speed? Perhaps you've seen them deliver high-powered blows in one quick instant. These tools will be necessary for engaging the massive armies attacking your world."

Mercury shuddered uneasily, recalling the awesome speed and power of Tridyx. It didn't seem possible for a giant like him to be so agile.

"You think just hammering down extra speed and precision will be enough?" Jupiter looked a little disappointed, giving a nonchalant shrug of her broad shoulders. "Geez, it all sounds so simple..."

"Not as easy as one may expect," Lord Kaio replied sternly. "Depending on the environment and the attitude of the fighter, it could take months to master super-speed alone. Besides, I told you – these are merely essentials. Once mastery of these elements is complete, you may be able to build upon your current powers as well."

Jupiter still looked eager despite the warnings.

"Well, let's get started; there's no time to waste, right? Show us what to do, Lord Kaio, and we'll do it!"

Mercury leaned over to Sailor Pluto, who'd been oddly quiet during the discussion.

"Quite a change from when she wanted to tear his head off, eh?" Sailor Pluto didn't reply, looking far more tense than usual. "Setsuna, are you okay?"

"Perhaps his mannerisms were just a ploy...his energies are growing more intent as he speaks." She observed. "Intriguing..."

"Well, before we get to the actual training portion, I have a small test for you," His mouth expanded into a devious grin; Sailor Mercury began feeling uneasy. "Now, anybody can take a good joke, especially from the master of them all. But it's quite different to know how to give a joke as well!"

"Meaning...?" Sailor Pluto seemed surprised at the suddent attitude switch, confusion appearing on her face.

"That'll be your first lesson under me," Lord Kaio simply said. "Make me laugh!"

* * *

As the population of the Old Era certainly wasn't accustomed to flight-capable humans, Sailor Neptune had decided to safely land a short distance away from the heavily-trafficked residential section that Piccolo's energy signature was currently emanating from.

She moved leisurely down the bustling sidewalk, deciding to make the great warrior stew a bit in retaliation for abandoning her at the top of the shrine. Besides, she was genuinely interested in taking some time to observe the culture of the Old Era humans.

How things have changed... She recognized some of the elements and customs from her days in the Old Era, though it struck her as strange that mannerisms she'd been doing for so long before the Cataclysm seemed so alien to her now.

In actuality, the city itself wasn't much different than Crystal Tokyo before the onset of the current war, at least in terms of the mundane routines. People was hurrying about their business along the crowded walkways, intersections, and sidewalks; some of the more leisurely ones had taken some time to window-shop along the bustling venues, and despite all of the noise from the vehicles and passers-by, it was a peaceful kind of noise, not the kind from explosions and dying screams that she'd become used to as of late. Even if she and Piccolo would be spending a decent length of time in this world, she wanted to soak in as much of a more carefree civilization as she could. Once they returned, even with the revival of their lost comrades, there was still the good possibility that she wouldn't get a chance to hear this sort of tranquility again.

Eventually, she let out a sigh and started walking; despite the rudeness of her partner, she didn't want to hold up the mission for too long. By now, he had almost certainly lost enough of his temper on her tardiness for her to enjoy.

Now, all he has to do is deliver on this Dragonball promise... Neptune was still somewhat skeptical that such relics existed even after Piccolo's word, and despite the assurances from the Earth's guardian, she couldn't bring herself to get her hopes up – she'd done that often enough lately and had been met with disappointment. Kami's warnings about the Dragonballs' effectiveness in the far corners of the future had been the latest instance of that.

It took her several more blocks of weaving in and out of cars and crowds for her to reach the place where Piccolo's energy signature was radiating from. It was an immense and well-kept estate – the biggest she'd seen in the city – with the main building rounded in the form of a dome and possessing a brilliant polished orange shade along with a gigantic pearl-white 'C' on its curved frame. The garden areas surrounding the dome were well-trimmed and a perfect hue of green, stretching along for quite some distance. Compared to the surrounding mid-sized skyscrapers and apartment buildings, this place could've been a district unto itself. That the simplistic Piccolo could be acquainted with such grandeur was surprising.

Neptune crossed over the grass onto a small stone path, stopping at a large white door that served as one of many entrances to the facility. She was about to politely rap on the solid door when it suddenly whooshed open, a friendly musical sequence chiming in her ear at the same time.

"Welcome to Capsule Corporation Corporate Headquarters," A friendly female voice said through a pair of loudspeakers embedded in the door frame. "Please enjoy your stay."

Neptune lowered her hand and nodded, impressed – they didn't seem to be as far along as Crystal Tokyo's standard architecture, but they were close for being a so many years younger.

She stepped inside, following a small hallway down for a few dozen meters before walking into a high-ceiling reception area with overly extravagant waiting accommodations.

"It's about time," A low voice growled as Neptune moved into the center of the room. Glancing over at the far wall, she smirked at Piccolo's stoic face as the robed warrior was leaning next to a larger doorframe, this one completely made out of unpolished steel. "I was wondering if I overestimated your senses."

"Such a crime, leaving me to fend for myself in such a strange world," She coyly laughed as she sauntered over to him. "Kami was correct – you are the evil half."

Piccolo mumbled something under his breath before beckoning for her to follow him through the door. As before, it opened automatically, and a cooler voice informed both of them that they were entering the research and development area.

"For the record, why exactly are we here?" she asked. "I don't suppose that this had anything to do with our search for these Dragonballs of yours?"

"You would be correct," Piccolo dryly replied. "The woman that owns this facility is in possession of a device that will help us locate our prizes."

"How well hidden are they? Before, you made it sound like it would be easy to find them."

"I can't say for certain. They could be in plain sight or buried deep beneath the Earth's surface. Once the Dragonballs are used to grant a wish, they separate and fly off to different parts of the Earth where they remain dormant for a year. By now, they'll have regained their power, so all that we need to do is track them down using the woman's radar device."

"And you're so certain that this person will be willing to part with it?" Sailor Neptune hurried up alongside of him, shooting him a skeptical look. "Such an invention is invaluable – the last thing I'd want to do with it is give it to someone with a face like yours."

"I'm not on familiar terms with the owners, but Gohan and the others are," He explained as they turned a corner. "Don't worry yourself – once they realize our purpose, they'll be more than glad to assist us. It's simply the way your people are."

"My people?" Neptune was intrigued a bit. "Aren't you generalizing our mercifulness a bit, Piccolo? You haven't seen much of my darker side yet."

"My experience with humans is somewhat...limited. Gohan and his family along with the remaining members of our group are my closest links to showing me how the human culture operates and grows. I've yet to come to a general conclusion...there are too many discrepancies that I'm unable to understand."

"You can't grasp our culture, yet you're eager to defend us from being annihilated by an other-worldly army? That's quite a discrepancy in itself, teacher."

Piccolo was silent for a bit as they stepped out into a wide corridor lined with doors. Bright neon yellow letters stenciled onto the cold, plated floor identified the area as an entryway to the research and development hangars. She still followed the Namek's lead as he moved up the hall to one of the doors. She didn't know how he knew he was going in the right direction; she assumed that he could sense the woman's energy as Neptune had sensed his.

They passed through the door as easily as the others, no security measures to stop them. The two walked into a vast arena that stretched at least a story above their heads. The room was made completely out of fresh, undecorated steel, and the brisk gusts of air flowing into the stadium from large ventilation ducts in the ceiling made it almost uncomfortable for her. As they moved forward, she observed several large workstations scattered throughout the room, all of them attached to expansive and complex-looking computer consoles. Workers and technicians were busily glancing over data-sheets and clipboards as they were commenting to each other on whatever piece of hardware or building component was sitting in front of them.

Geniuses of the world hard at work. Ami would be in heaven here.

The workers were so enraptured in their studies that they didn't so much as even notice the pair as they wove in and out through cluttered terminals and stepped gingerly over thick black industrial cables until they came upon a particularly huge device at the back of the room.

"Here she is," said Piccolo.

At the base of a gigantic spherical pod that had been spray-painted a brilliant hue of white, a young woman in an orange layered work-suit and a pair of thick black goggles was busily attempting to weld a piece of loose plating to the bottom of the device. Neptune couldn't tell what purpose the enormous sphere served, but from the stacks of labeled fuel canisters neatly lined up next to the machine, she guessed that it was some type of aerial transport vessel. She retracted her earlier internal remark about the Old Era being behind in terms of technology – with that much fuel, that craft could've been propelled into outer space, a step ahead of the kingdom's current aviation plans.

As Piccolo approached the woman, his looming cloaked shadow danced along the bright hull, and she whirled around with a fright, nearly dropping the thin welder. After catching a glimpse of the Namek, she thrust out a sigh of exasperation as she deactivated her equipment and removed her goggles. Her eyes possessed a purposeful flare to them.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" she barked. "And what are you doing back here so soon? Have things gone well?"

Piccolo stifled her questions by raising his arms.

"Things are still proceeding – circumstances have arisen that required me to return here. I need something of yours."

"Excuse me, teacher," Sailor Neptune ducked her head under one of Piccolo's armored shoulder-pads and slipped around in front of him. "But aren't you going to introduce me? Or do the names of your students matter to you?"

The woman's gaze faltered as she examined Sailor Neptune, but she approached the water soldier with a friendly smile, gazing her up and down with a bit of mysticism.

"You're with Piccolo?" She inquired. Michiru politely nodded. "It's nice to meet you; my name's Bulma Briefs." She extended her hand, and Neptune shook it with equal confidence. "Are you from the future era?"

"Yes, my name is Michiru Kaioh, princess of the planet Neptune," she cordially said. "It's a pleasure. I serve as one of the primary battle commanders within the Crystal Tokyo Special Forces. I've journeyed back to this age with Piccolo to search for these Dragonball artifacts."

"Dragonballs?" Bulma gave a worried glance to Piccolo. "Don't tell me something like that's happened already?? Is Yamcha okay??"

Yamcha...? Considering the sizeable amount of alarm in Bulma's voice at the mention of the chauvinistic fighter, Neptune concluded that the two were special to each other. She found herself smiling mischievously – she didn't expect a brash loudmouth like Yamcha to be hooked up with the technological mastermind that Bulma seemed to be. Then again, from the angry scowl and sharp greeting she'd given Piccolo when he'd surprised her, she did see one trait both had in common. She'd remember that the next time she caught Yamcha eyeing up either her or any of the other Sailor Soldiers.

"Calm yourself, Bulma," Piccolo was saying. "None of us have been hurt as of yet, but five of the kingdom's finest warriors had perished in battle by the time we arrived at the palace. We need to find the Dragonballs in order to revive them, and to that end, we need your Dragon Radar."

"I see..." Bulma scratched her chin, and as Neptune suspected, she was having doubts about handing over such a powerful device to the stoic warrior. Before she could respond, Neptune spoke first.

"Those soldiers...they were some of my best friends – to have a chance to bring them back to life would mean so much not only to me but to our people. That's what they meant to our world – without them, I fear the morale and spirits of those still left alive..."

Bulma was listening, but it didn't take her long to give a friendly nod to Sailor Neptune.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened. I was there when they discovered the message pod that your queen sent back to us. I'd be more than happy to help in any way I can."

"Thank you," Neptune smiled back at her, relief sweeping over her. While she definitely knew that scouring the entire planet for the mystical orbs wouldn't be easy, at least their goal was in the realm of possibility. Now, it was not a matter of hope, just a matter of time.

* * *

Even in the midst of battle, Gohan found himself smiling, relishing the ease with which these grunts were going down.

He'd acted as a human battering ram, plowing his way through a dozen warriors at the entrance to the basement level and sending many of them crashing to the floor. Fortunately, his wits had been clearer than his opponents' – before any of the marauders could recover, he'd launched a strong ki blast that had vaporized a good portion of their ranks.

However, that hadn't been the end – the explosion had caused alarms to start blaring all over the level, and from several of the doors scattered around the expansive, lavishly decorated hall – obviously a renovation by the casino executives that had once occupied the building – more armored soldiers had come charging through, some armed with gun-packs and the more muscular ones choosing to fight bare-handed.

The first wave of about fifteen that had charged up the western stairwell toward him had gone down after another well-placed blast, but they were quickly replaced by reinforcements; twenty more had rushed the stairs to the terrace. There had been a slight chance that they could've overwhelmed him had Sailor ChibiMoon and Sailor Saturn not made their own entrance. The princess had repelled a few of the enemies with powerful flying kicks, and Sailor Saturn had unleashed a powerful energy attack from her glaive that had given them enough breathing room for Gohan to finish the job.

Even that hadn't been enough for them, and a third wave of soldiers was currently at their throats as the trio attempted to hold their ground on the terrace near the elevator entrance. The strategy had worked so far – none of the soldiers had considered aerial attacks, instead choosing to charge up the narrow staircases at them. The steps acted as a natural choke point, and only a handful out of the bunch could launch attacks at a time.

Underestimate us, will they...

Gohan delivered a powerful headbutt to the carapace of a particularly large goliath, knocking the wind out of him. He bounded up and finished the attack with a quick spin-kick to the jaw. The beast stumbled backward, tripping over himself and barreling down the staircase, leveling an oncoming contingent of gunners like bowling pins. Gohan laughed smugly as he surveyed his victory.

"Almost too easy," He commented to Sailor ChibiMoon and Sailor Saturn. "Almost."

"This is no time for swaggering!!" Sailor Saturn had impaled one of their gunners on her glaive, but doing so had left herself open to an attack from her left side. ChibiMoon's well-placed flying kicks – which were improving greatly in form the more she used them – were the only thing that saved Saturn from being blasted. She withdrew the glaive after some effort, kicking the bleeding soldier over the railing of the terrace. "We can't keep this up forever, you know!!"

As Gohan booted away another oncoming gunner, he did notice that the enemies were beginning to stack up against Sailor Saturn and the princess on the opposite side of the terrace, which struck him as unusual. After all, there were two of them and only one of him, and after several minutes of fighting, they were beginning to look tired, breathing heavily and throwing a lot of effort into their attacks while he was still relatively fresh and full of energy. It was just like ChibiMoon's failed scepter attack earlier – they were exhausting their powers too quickly while their enemies were still fresh and crisp.

By now, some of the marauders were getting into position at the bottom of the terrace, mounting cylindrical tubes - perhaps some kind of missile launchers - onto thick metallic tripods. As some of the enemies at the bottom of the staircase were beginning to withdraw for cover, Gohan could tell what was coming.

A faint gust of wind brushed by him, and Gohan glanced up to see a trio of aerial soldiers swooping down on their location. Perfect – they would pick this moment to finally smarten up.

Ah, geez...help the others, wreck the launchers, or wipe out the flies up there...choices, choices... He mused uneasily as the airborne grunts took a quick dive at him. Forced into a decision, Gohan braced himself.

* * *

Sailor Uranus was beginning to grow aggravated – these alien bastards were trickier than she had imagined. While they had come across a few minor supply caches and communication posts, nothing even remotely resembling a command structure was anywhere close to the point of the enemy ambush. It had been nearly half an hour since she'd joined the search for it – reinforcements from the northern squads had arrived to help clean up the western garrison – and not even the great Z Warriors had come across anything suspicious as of yet. Tenshinhan had elected to scour the ground with her while the others patrolled the skies.

"I say we try one more street, and we head back," Tenshinhan suggested as the two approached a crosswalk.

"Agreed," Uranus led the way, darting around the corner and keeping her Space Sword up and ready as they hurried down the quiet, desolate corridor. After about five minutes of scanning the area and perusing through the hollowed-out structures along the road, Uranus let out a slight sigh of disappointment – this area was as dead as the rest of them.

"Hey, over here!!" Tenshinhan called from further up the road. Uranus hurried over to him; she'd been expecting for him to be standing in front of a building, sensing for enemy 'battle powers,' or whatever the group called them, but the tall, muscular fighter was instead reading a small piece of tattered paper in the middle of the road. He pushed it in her direction as she came within arm's length. "Take a look."

Uranus snatched the note from him, wondering how such a wrinkled scrap of garbage could've drawn Tenshinhan's attention out of the entire, debris-ridden street.

As her eyes scanned the first few lines, she felt her knuckles tightening around the sheet – the fine handwriting had detailed the capture of the princess of Earth; the soldier who'd done the deed had been sent off on other errands, but as the princess was nowhere to be found out in the open, Uranus was nearly sent into a panic as she mulled over the implications.

"They...They've taken her!!!" She torn a scrap of the paper off, letting both pieces float gently to the ground. "Damn those two...they weren't careful enough with her...especially Saturn of all people...Dammit..." She whirled toward Tenshinhan with blazing eyes as horrifying images stirred within her mind. She could already see the sadistic alien tormentors dragging the princess off to some remote corner of their base, planning who-knew-what with her. She could've been vaporized into atoms already, even after all that boasting from the little Saiyan kid. "Your comrade said that he would look after both of them, so where is he!! Did he abandon them?!"

"Calm yourself already, I wasn't finished yet!!" Tenshinhan backed down from the fuming Sailor Soldier, picking up the note and thrusting it back into her hand. "This hand-writing is what concerns me the most. I'd recognize it anywhere – this is Gohan's!"

"G...Gohan??" Uranus froze, balling her fists as even more uneasy scenarios passed through her mind. Had the seemingly innocent boy led both Saturn and the princess away from the battle group just to deliver them into enemy hands? The note would certainly imply that...and it would also explain Gohan's disappearance. Her mind also flashed back to their chance encounter earlier that morning – her blood boiled all the more she thought about how the boy's naiveté had seemingly fooled her...

Apparently, her emotions were showing too much, as Tenshinhan was quick to quell her rage.

"Hang on, before you start," He raised his hands in defense. "There's got to be some kind of explanation for this."

"Can't you warriors read??" Uranus shoved the paper into his face. "What else can this message mean?!"

"As I said before, if we were going to backstab you, there would've been better opportunities to do so!" Tenshinhan pleaded his case. "Come on, put that sword down, this is not what you think!!"

"He's right, you know," An iron voice chimed in from atop one of the nearby boutiques. Uranus stopped her advance against Tenshinhan and spotted the great Saiyan prince calmly roosting on the angled tile surface, looking more than anything like he was sun-tanning with his relaxed, outstretched arms and his smug, leisurely grin. "As entertaining as the thought may be, you are jumping to conclusions, scout."

"And how would you know?!" Uranus screamed at the insult. "Maybe you were his accomplice in this conspiracy!!"

"Believe what you want," Vegeta nonchalantly shrugged, not regarding the threat at all. "The children have some brains, there's no doubt about that. The boy used your princess as the worm on the hook – two of Damos's grunts picked her up a bit ago, and the kid and one of your fellow scouts tracked them back to their base. Very clever, for a hybrid."

Uranus nearly laughed at that one – surely, even a Saiyan could've fibbed better than that.

"And if you're so certain of that, then why didn't you track them? Considering that you're supposed to be helping us throughout this whole mess--"

"Once again, you confuse me with the others," Vegeta turned his head away and leaned back, closing his eyes. "My objective is simply Damos now, and you are one of the means by which I can get to him! Track the kids' energy signatures to the north if you're curious – they're probably battling it out with the alien commanders all by themselves right now. It would make for an interesting viewing..."

He let out a relaxed sigh and said nothing further, seeming content to bathe in the afternoon sun rather than participate in the battle. How such a lay-about prince ever would've ruled over an entire planet, Uranus would never know.

"Well, Sailor Uranus?" Tenshinhan floated up into the air a bit, stretching out a long arm to her. "It'll be faster this way, unless you'd prefer to stay here and try to skewer me."

Grumbling to herself for her attitude and the returning dishonor of serving as baggage in Tenshinhan's arms, she allowed the broad-shouldered man to help her into the air. He quickly zoomed up and forward, in the direction of Yamcha, Chaozu, and Krillin.

Her bitterness toward Gohan still remained unchanged despite the revelation – if Vegeta was telling the truth, how dare the boy use the princess as bait for a trap, no matter what the potential payoff? She had a good mind to impale his smiling face onto her Space Sword when she saw him again, no matter which story was true...

* * *

Sailor ChibiMoon's legs were beginning to burn and ache with so many flying kick attacks, but it was her best arsenal against the aliens – she couldn't take a chance on her Pink Sugar Heart Attack failing her anymore, not in this tight spot.

Another of her kicks had sent the closest of the brawlers spiraling over the edge of the terrace, and she finally thought they had gotten a breather – no other soldiers were charging up the stairs at them.

She let out a heavy, fatigued sigh.

"Huh...finally," She smirked. "Guess we sure showed--"

"Look out!!" She felt Sailor Saturn snaring her from behind, and the two of them lurched forward as ChibiMoon thought she heard an irritating whine echoing through the chamber. Before she could think further, a concussion wave followed by a rush of heat engulfed both Sailor Soldiers as they crashed hard into the wall. Sailor Saturn seemed to get the worst of it – her shoulder hit the solid concrete material first, and she clutched at it with a grim, painful expression as they hit the ground.

ChibiMoon's back had impacted as well, and she rubbed her sore spine as she groggily stood up, taking a glance at what had necessitated such a hasty and nearly unsuccessful evasion.

The back wall of the facility – along with their entrance and exit – was now in shambles, chunks of smoldering plaster and metal burying the elevator shaft and a good portion of the terrace. Small bits of shell fragments were still burning with a brilliant white ruddiness near the rubble, leading ChibiMoon to believe that Saturn had saved her from some type of explosive projectile attack. She hadn't even considered that to be the reason for the withdrawal of the ground forces.

"H...Hotaru...?" She squeaked as she clutched at her aching back. "Are you--"

"I'm...okay..." Sailor Saturn was still nursing her injured shoulder, using her long glaive to pull herself to her feet. Her vision looked a bit glazed over. "This is too much, we've got to get out, find reinforcements..."

"Gohan...where's Gohan...?" ChibiMoon frantically scoured the terrace, but the miniature Saiyan was nowhere to be found. "Did they...?"

Her question was soon answered as a pair of bodies crashed onto the terrace, not dead ones but Gohan and a particularly quick-looking aerial fighter that had locked arms with the Saiyan and was grappling for control. The heavier alien was on top of Gohan, nearly choking him.

"Saturn, take cover!!" ChibiMoon hurried over, drawing out her scepter as the armored air fighter noticed her out of the corner of his eye, turning slightly in order to possibly intercept her. A quick fist from Gohan drew his attention back. "Please work this time...Pink Sugar Heart Attack!!"

Thankfully, her powers responded to her command, and the tiny wand spat a stream of hollow hearts out toward the burly alien. The attack battered his faceplate, distracting him long enough for Gohan to flip him into the air. The brawny alien sailed forward for several dozen feet, crashing into the wall and dropping down into a heap.

Gohan sprung to his feet, breathing a bit heavily.

"Tougher than I thought..." He wheezed as ChibiMoon lowered her scepter. "Are you guys okay? I would've destroyed those missiles, but those guys kinda caught up with me."

"We'll make it, but--"

"Silence Wall!!" Saturn's pained cry erected the magic forcefield around them just in time – in the commotion, ChibiMoon and Gohan had forgotten about the missile launchers possibly having more rounds to fire. The Silence Wall had nicely stopped the projectiles, the explosions from the contact belching back out and roasting another trio of air attackers. Gohan and ChibiMoon weren't so much as singed.

Sailor Saturn, standing nearby with her glaive shakily raised, was looking worse after expending her energy for the maneuver. Her legs were trembling and she was breathing heavily as she stumbled over to them. The missile backfire had distracted their opponents for the time being, but they would be on the offensive once again in a matter of seconds. ChibiMoon could already hear footsteps clattering up the stairs, fresh bodies beginning to pierce the smokescreen.

"Maybe this won't be as easy as I thought..." Gohan was in a defensive position as more soldiers rushed up the staircases at both ends of the terrace; there were untainted, and full of vigor. "Can you guys keep going?"

"Do we...have a choice?" Saturn straightened herself and hurried back to her position against the eastern stairwell, ready to meet the closest of the soldiers head-on.

* * *

Damn...fools...how dare...they use...ki missiles...

Sub-Commander Silvars had regained consciousness by the time the deadly projectiles had been released from their launchers. They'd been ingenious products from the R and D department – they were packed with pure stabilized ki energy that provided double the blasting power of normal explosives and were cheap to produce to boot. Unfortunately, the launchers hadn't been aware of his presence within the wreck of the elevator shaft...either that, or they had known and were just trying to off him...such cretins, every last one of them.

He'd lacked the energy to blast his way through the debris that had buried the shaft entrance (and almost him), so he'd decided that his only beneficial course of action outside of physically digging through the mess was a tactical retreat. With his scouter ruined, he'd have to find his way to the closest security checkpoint within the city to call for reinforcements and to explain this incident to Commander Bortyx or his subordinates. Silvars shuddered at the thought of displeasing the Horde berserker twice in a matter of hours, and his only other possible scapegoat had been offered up as a result of the failed assault on the western garrisons. But even still, Bortyx couldn't have punished him for leaving his troops to face down the combined forces of the Sailor Soldiers and their new mercenary companions – since his horrific injuries in the initial ambush, what good could he have accomplished? He could barely walk, let alone fight...besides, he had full confidence in the soldiers under his command – they had surely absorbed his superior and noble leadership skills during their tenure under him. And if they hadn't, then Damos's army wasn't losing much – a soldier that couldn't pick up on marvelous leadership and performance skills when they lay right in front of them was a sack of dead weight that was better used as fodder anyhow!

He was currently hovering up the darkened shaft as more explosions rocked the complex. After several minutes of shaky flying and attempting to ignore the internal pounding in all of his limbs, Silvars was overjoyed to grasp onto the rim of the lobby elevator entrance, gasping and wheezing as he pulled his broken body onto the carpeted floor. He let himself sink into it, the soft fibers briefly soothing his aching muscles.

"Got to...leave..." He grumbled, forcing himself to his feet and staggering toward the entrance. Before he could get far, his limbs froze as he caught a glance of several forms dropping down outside. They weren't Damos's men – Silvars recognized all of them from the Priority Listings: four of the new mercenaries, and one very enraged Sailor Soldier.

Oh...bloody cruel fate...why do you torture me?

Before they could spot him, he stumbled over to the incinerated remains of the reception desk and tumbled over it, collapsing in a heap behind the charred wood remains. Seconds later he faintly heard footfalls where he'd just been standing, the group of interlopers pausing briefly. Silvars held his breath and silently ordered his muscles not to tremble in the slightest, and even still, he was certain that they'd detected him...but instead, he heard the Sailor Soldier growl lowly before saying something to her comrades.

"Dammit...where could they be?" She scowled. "You were certain that it was this building, right? Could your senses have been skewed at all?"

"Gohan's battle power flares up like a volcano whenever he's in a fight; I know I felt it coming from here," A higher voice replied, and Silvars could hear a lightweight form scurrying across the carpet toward the elevator shaft, toward the battle. "Whew...how far down does this thing go?"

"The casinos are almost as expansive as the information network under the palace," The Sailor Soldier informed him. "If the enemy has taken possession of this place, they could've squeezed dozens of their soldiers down there..."

"In that case, let's get moving; they could already be in trouble!" Another brash voice reverberated throughout the broken hall as all of the forms hurried to the elevator shaft. They must've all dropped down in a matter of seconds – within half a minute, Silvars allowed himself to release his breath. He was alone again, an open door within arm's length.

"Got to...get free...report back..." He grabbed hold of the splintered wood, slowly pulling his battered body up and jogging toward the door before anyone else could blow his stealthy escape. Aching as he was, it was going to be an aneurism traversing the ruined city and staying out of sight of any Crystal Tokyo resistance until he could make his way to the nearest checkpoint. From there, he could get medical attention and deliver his 'report...'

"Sailor Soldiers and their new pawns..." He murmured to himself as he spilled out onto the sunny street. "That's what it was – they were everywhere, attacking from this way and that way...the cowards under my command broke ranks and fled...they couldn't function once I was taken out of the picture..."

He was hoping not to have to share that particular version with the invasion commanders, but it was always good to be prepared!

* * *

The fight had seemed to be going in their favor at the onset, but as Gohan blinked rapidly to restore his vision - he'd been momentarily blinded by the explosion of another powerful warhead against the rear wall - even he had to admit that perhaps he'd been a bit too headstrong in this infiltrate-and-destroy plan. As adept as he was in hand-to-hand combat, he was not experienced thoroughly in battle involving such a massive horde of opponents, let alone ones with such a clear technological edge. If any more of those missiles struck the terrace or the area around it, their safe haven would be reduced to ashes in no time. The only good news was that the recent missile attack had collapsed the western stairwell Gohan had been defending, cutting off ground forces from advancing up that direction. While squads of organized aerial soldiers still littered the high-ceiling chamber, it was a silver lining, however small it was.

Thick smoke now coated the terrace, clogging Gohan's lungs and making his eyes itch and water. He could still hear the sounds of combat close by - ChibiMoon and Saturn were still in the thick of the fight, but for how much longer, Gohan was afraid to guess. Saturn had especially been worn down; he'd seen the bloody and disfigured mess her shoulder had become from the first missile barrage...

He energized himself, the coalescing white aura shredding the black cloud of smog and finally giving his belabored eyes some clarity. His gaze darted left - the two princesses were nearly being overwhelmed by a crushing mob of alien troops; ChibiMoon had been knocked to the ground after a particularly hard uppercut from a squid-like humanoid creature, and Saturn had somehow lost her grip on her glaive, the weapon lying several feet away as the dark-haired Sailor Soldier was trying desperately to fend off half a dozen other assailants with her bare hands. To make matters worse, more gunners were taking up firing positions at the top of the remaining staircase.

For crying out loud...There's got to be some limit to their numbers... What these aliens lacked in individual strength, they made up with their relentless mob tactics. Gohan ventured that if Damos had inherited a portion of Frieza's army as Vegeta had hypothesized, he'd also taken after the warlord's style of warfare.

He ignited a quick burst of speed that carried him into the path of the gang attacking Sailor Saturn before they could do any further damage. He flared his already potent aura, the radiance and force of the energy throwing the soldiers off-balance; Gohan seized the moment and launched several smaller ki blasts outward. Most of them found their marks; as the closer soldiers dropped to the ground in a heap, Gohan volleyed a stronger blast toward the gunners. The fireball was ill-aimed, however, and Gohan instead disintegrated the upper section of the stairwell instead. He achieved the same result - the screams from the targeted soldiers left little doubt as to their fate - and he smirked in realization that he'd effectively cut off their ground forces from reaching them. Why hadn't he thought of that approach sooner?

His confidence boost didn't last long - seconds later, Gohan noticed that the aerial brigades were consolidating into a tight mid-air formation, their ranks stretching nearly a dozen across and a dozen back with several heavily armored and well-decorated officers taking point at the front. Gohan could feel all of their malicious glares focusing on him as one of the lead officers shouted an order that Gohan could only assume was an attack command.

"Well, if dad could do it..." He glanced back at Sailor Saturn, who'd stumbled over to help ChibiMoon up from her nasty spill. The princess's lip was busted open from the blow she'd taken, and her eyes were glossy. "I don't suppose you have any more energy left for that shield wall? I think we'll be needing it..."

The first few ranks of attackers were already diving toward them, their battle powers rising as they closed the gap. As they soared, Gohan noticed that they were fanning out across the width of the chamber, defeating any possible chance of evading or slipping through their strike. While Gohan felt that he could weather the first line's assault, dealing with twelve ranks of fighters was stretching things quite a bit...the Saiyan hybrid felt his stomach twisting as he realized any potential escape from the terrace - whether by the elevator shaft or the stairwells - had been cut off.

"I...can't command my powers...at a flick of my wrist like you can...!" Saturn wheezed as she snatched up her glaive from the floor. "I lost a lot of energy just creating my Silence Wall the last time!"

"We're about to lose more than that..." ChibiMoon was backpedaling slightly as her eyes darted back and forth between the approaching mob. "Any suggestions while the floor's still open?"

"Let me provide a diversion," Gohan nodded as he sized up the first wave, judging which of them he could've potentially taken out first. "Perhaps you two can make a break for the ground level, find some cover somewhere while I hold them--"

"While you take on an entire battalion?" Sailor Saturn spat angrily as her injured arm hung limply at her side. "I've had enough of your gallant strategizing, Gohan!"

The injured Sailor Soldier shoved past the boy while putting her blood-covered glaive high into the air. Gohan couldn't imagine what kind of attack she could muster up to use against such a massive horde, but another sudden crashing noise from behind them interrupted the momentum.

Perilous as it was, the trio whirled about as they observed the wall of rubble clogging the elevator shaft disintegrating in one quick burst of energy. Gohan deflected some of the smaller pieces of shrapnel away from his eyes and readied himself for another attack from the other side of the wall. He was about to launch another energy blast through the gaping hole at whatever new threat was present, but he held back at the last second as a familiar lanky form emerged from the shadows.

Yamcha's fiery eyes landed on Gohan first, but he barely gave him a nod of acknowledgment before noticing the swarm of soldiers descending onto their position. A wild grin sprouted on his face as he cracked his neck and loosened up his arms.

He did catch Gohan in the eyes momentarily and boasted in an almost obnoxious tone.

"Last big party of the summer; let's make it memorable!"

* * *

Sailor Venus crossed her arms with frustration as she watched the plump creature flail about on the grass, guffawing so loudly that he would've died of it had he still been alive. Hovering above him with a small smirk of triumph was Sailor Pluto, the third of their group aside from Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter to successfully get the catfish-like Lord Kaio to laugh, much to Mars's annoyance - she had already had her hand at it and failed miserably. She would probably need assistance if they wanted to move her into the first levels of training with them.

Sailor Mars was grumbling under her breath as she seethed at Sailor Pluto from a short distance away.

"I can't believe he laughed at that..." She fumed. "How could he find that nonsense funny when he didn't even crack a smile at my joke?!"

Jupiter shook her head piteously as she patted Mars on the shoulder.

"'You can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish?'"

Mars huffed indignantly as Venus offered her own sentiment.

"Hey, you would've had him if hadn't heard it before...though he'd probably be the only one to laugh at that non-joke."

"Amazing that he actually heard that one before," Mercury was sitting on the grass, smiling at her friend's frustration. "To think that two people could think up the same bad joke--"

"Shut up!!"

Venus didn't imagine that Setsuna would be the type for joke-telling, though considering how much she was around the princess, it shouldn't have been a total surprise. Venus herself had elected to go last out of the bunch; considering her admitted penchant for botching one-liners, she'd needed plenty of time to concoct a good enough joke.

Sailor Pluto finally stepped away from Lord Kaio, mildly sauntering back to the rest of them.

"That wasn't terribly difficult - it wasn't even my best one," She quietly marveled, drawing the ire of Sailor Mars even further.

"What's with this stupidity anyway..." The raven-haired fire soldier grumbled. "I hardly think that mastering puns will help us against the alien army..."

"Hey, if it means earning all of that power, he could bronze me and put me up on his roof for a lightning rod!" Jupiter contested. Since the master's introduction, it had been impossible to contain her energy - Sailor Venus didn't think she'd seen Jupiter stop pacing for the last hour.

"Must you continue with the lightning puns..." Mars spat. Venus did concur with that point - Jupiter's joke had followed up on the affinity that Lord Kaio had for relating her with her element. She hadn't heard the entire joke, but she knew it had something to do with an orchestra director getting struck by lightning...horrid indeed.

"Well, fearless leader," Jupiter patted Venus on the shoulder. "The spotlight's on you!"

Lord Kaio had finally pulled himself up off the ground, wiping small tears away from his beady eyes. He was still attempting to catch his breath as Venus finally settled on her joke.

"Alright, if this doesn't get him, nothing will! Wish me luck, you guys!"

She stepped toward the martial arts master, attempting to appear confident. Hopefully, the momentum from Sailor Pluto's joke would carry over into hers - she certainly didn't want to get left behind on account of bad story-telling.

"Ah, such brilliance..." Lord Kaio was still panting slightly. "Procrastinating before it's too late...fabulous!"

Venus processed the punchline and rolled her eyes - she would hope that it wasn't Sailor Pluto's best joke.

"Now then, Sailor Venus," Lord Kaio folded his arms behind his back. "I've been watching you prepare for this with tremendous intensity - I'm sure you've crafted the perfect joke for me!"

"You could say..." She said with a wry smile, gathering her energy. Okay...here goes nothing... "Whether you have a baseball team or pancakes, the secret is to start with a good hitter!!"

The delivery was perfect, each syllable perfectly annunciated with perfect pitch and flow; it should've been the homerun she was looking for...but the reaction was less than what she had expected. Lord Kaio sat there momentarily with a puzzled look on his maw, and as he stitched his brow in thought, Venus felt her confidence dissolving.

"Sorry," He shook his head almost mournfully, waving her away without a second thought. "I think you may be a tad confused...better luck next time. Next!"

Venus was crestfallen - how had that failed to ignite his overly flammable sense of humor? If he could find humor in Sailor Pluto's horrid joke...

She expressed such sentiment once she tromped back to the others. When she repeated the one-liner to her comrades, each one of them shook their heads, except for Jupiter, who offered a pity chuckle.

"See! You at least got a laugh out of it!" Venus hissed as she pointed an almost accusing finger toward Sailor Jupiter.

"Minako, Minako..." Jupiter placed an arm around her friend's shoulder calmly. "A good hitter?"

"Yes, a good hitter!!" Venus shouted. "What else would it be?"

"Oh, I don't know; I just can't remember the last time I made pancakes from hitters..." Jupiter drolled on.

Venus froze, realizing her error and simultaneously feeling like kicking herself because of it. Downtrodden, she dropped onto the ground, motioning toward Sailor Mars.

"Batter up, Rei..." She nonchalantly motioned toward the master as she inwardly cursed at herself for butchering the joke so horribly. "Setsuna?"

As Sailor Mars trudged toward Lord Kaio with her own determined

look on her face, Sailor Pluto stepped over to the blonde soldier with subtle mirth.

"Yes, Sailor Venus?"

"Would you be so kind as to run some of your better jokes by me?"

Sailor Pluto laughed.

"Certainly."

* * *

With a loud cry, Sailor Uranus thrust her Space Sword into the maw of the last surviving enemy commander, a well-trimmed officer with what appeared to be numerous colorful commendations on his chestplate. The miserable alien squirmed wildly for a few moments before letting out a couple of mild death spasms.

Breathing heavily, Sailor Uranus dropped the officer's bloodied corpse to the floor as she surveyed the remains of the basement level of Le Fin. During the heat of the melee, it had been easy to lose track of how many soldiers the alien army had crammed into the casino complex, but a close estimation had to be at least in the early hundreds. She couldn't say how much of a blow this victory would be against the enemy, but it would at least give the alien commanders something to think about.

Gohan, Sailor Saturn, and the princess had done a considerable job of holding back the onslaught of the facility's defenders, but seeing Saturn's wounded shoulder and ChibiMoon's fatigue had made her realize that they had arrived just in time. Yamcha and Tenshinhan had led the charge against an impressive aerial regiment; she, Krillin, and Chaozu were close to follow, surprising the ranks with a combination of powerful attacks. Facinf such stiff resistance, the lines had buckled, some of the enemies regrouping elsewhere, others panicking and soaring for cover, and still more that blindly charged against them.

In the midst of the chaos, Sailor Uranus had first seen to the safety of the princess. Sailor ChibiMoon was fairly roughed up from the carnage, and despite vehement protests, Uranus had seen her to the sanctity of the elevator shaft before joining the battle. She'd been too fatigued - favoring her swollen back and her head - to assist in such a melee anyhow. Sailor Saturn, on the other hand, even with her badly injured arm, had offered to assist in the counterattack against the aerial brigade. While both Sailor Soldiers had taken out a good share of the aliens during the course of the fight, Uranus had been observing each of the Z Warriors at every turn, seeing how capable they could be in such circumstances. Though it begrudged her to admit it, she had been almost mesmerized as she'd witnessed each of them deftly weave and duck out of the enemy ranks with such blinding speed. At one point, she'd watched Krillin somehow split into three copies of himself before rushing a legion of fliers by himself. She'd also watched Chaozu use some kind of telekinesis to reverse a volley of ki beams back on their attackers. Considering that it had only taken a handful of them to dismember such a vast force, Uranus was finally feeling pangs of confidence, albeit small ones, stemming from the hired help.

The horde of enemies had eventually shrunk to smaller swarms, and the bigger the swath they cut into their ranks, the less aggressive and more defensive they'd became. The final few that they'd killed had almost been begging for their lives, including the officer at her feet.

"No mercy for enemies of Earth..." She spat onto the alien's crimson body. She hadn't imagined that so many enemies could've been crammed into Le Fin, even as big as it was. Fortunately, the abundance of enemies simply meant more targets for her World Shaking and Space Sword Blaster attacks. At one point, one World Shaking had taken down an entire squad of a dozen gunners.

Now that the battle had concluded, the weight of the injuries she'd sustained during the battle was catching up with her. She'd taken a few hard punches in the ribs from the brawlers, and several ki beams had sliced across her exposed limbs, lacerating her skin deeply.

Still, things could've been worse.

Stepping over broken, burning corpses and dismembered limbs, Sailor Uranus made her way back to the base of the disheveled terrace, where the Z Warriors were attending to themselves and Sailor Saturn.

"...Can you move your arm?" Tenshinhan was saying to Saturn as the girl was seated on the floor. Uranus pushed past Yamcha and Krillin - who were piling up the battered remains of the aliens into large piles if for nothing else than to provide some walking room - and muscled Tenshinhan over.

"Can you make it back to the palace?" She asked quickly.

"Yes, I believe so..." Saturn answered uneasily.

"I left the senzus back at the palace," Krillin offered as he tossed aside the broken remains of a gunner. "We'll have her fixed in no time."

While silently registering the uplifting comment, Uranus knew that more business remained on Sailor Saturn's end - indeed, things could have ended up much worse, especially if the princess was harmed, captured, or perhaps killed by the very soldiers Gohan had brought them to assault. While Gohan's barbaric gung-ho attitude was inexcusable, Sailor Saturn should have known better than to endorse such a suicidal tactic.

"Stand up," Uranus commanded her smaller comrade.

Saturn's eyes were lowered slightly, still keeping her healthy arm on her wounded one as she stood before her commander.

"Shall I ask your involvement in this debacle, or shall I simply tell you that you will be disciplined accordingly upon our return?"

Saturn didn't wince at the sharp bite; instead she resigned herself to an apologetic bow. It didn't soften Sailor Uranus's demeanor, but she was pleased that the girl hadn't become a total rogue.

"I am sorry for my rashness," She began. "It just seemed like a perfect opportunity to--"

"To what? Deliver the princess to the enemy on a silver platter? Had we not intervened, you and the boy very well might have, and then where would we be?"

Silence hung over the group momentarily as Uranus continued casting a reprimanding scowl at Saturn. Finally, the one Z Warrior among the current group that Uranus didn't want to see stepped in between them. Uranus's anger spiked as the dirty and bruised face of Son Gohan stared up at her.

"This was my idea, Sailor Uranus," He admitted, motioning back to Sailor Saturn. "I forced her to go along with it; if it weren't for me, none of--" He hesitantly motioned to the heaps of corpses cluttering the war-torn chamber. "--none of this would've happened. She saved both of us on a few different occasions - she doesn't deserve to be punished for this; I do, if anyone."

Sailor Uranus didn't answer his request at first - she hadn't even registered some of the words. She was too busy attempting to restrain herself from driving her Space Sword into his gut, and it was taking some considerable effort. Some of the nearby Z Warriors seemed to believe the pressure may have been too much as Uranus caught Krillin approaching her sword arm out of the corner of her eye.

Taking a deep breath, she waved the stout monk off, retracting her weapon and bending down to Gohan's level. The remorseful tightness in Gohan's round eyes didn't alleviate her boiling anger. As words began to exit her mouth, all of her pent-up frustration toward the boy went with it.

"Be thankful, then, that she was here to protect the two of you - had something happened to the princess, your body would be lying here with the corpses of the enemy!" Gohan winced noticeably at the scolding, but Uranus wasn't finished. She shook her head with pure exasperation, not caring that Gohan's friends and comrades were right in front of them. None of them were offering resistance to her outburst. "I mean, really, what the hell were you thinking?!! Do you think you're invincible, trying to take on the world!! You may not fear death, but those of us with regard for our comrades' lives do!!"

Gohan faltered, stumbling backward and blurting out streams of babble in an attempt to offer an explanation. Uranus wouldn't let him out of arm's reach, snaring the Saiyan hybrid by his collar and yanking him back in her direction. She pulled Gohan up so close that they were practically nose to nose. She reduced her voice level, but the intensity remained.

"I don't care how powerful you may think you are - your stupidity more than compensates for it. I'm going to recommend to the king that you be removed from front line combat. I won't have you leading our princess into a deathtrap despite her wishes."

Gohan looked crestfallen at the sentencing, but before he could protest, Uranus shoved him away.

"And if you possess a simplistic brain, you'll stay away from the princess and Sailor Saturn as long as I'm around. You may be only half-Saiyan, but you carry the same bloodlust as the great prince. You were lucky this time, but one day it'll catch up to you; I'll be damned if you're taking any of us with you when it does!"

Still fuming, Uranus motioned for Saturn to follow her to the elevator shaft - it had been a long day already, and between cleaning up their ranks from the ambush and now having to meet with the king about the raucous Saiyan child, it was only going to get longer.

* * *

As Gohan's glance darted about to his teammates, all of them seemed momentarily numb after Sailor Uranus's tirade. While the words had been sharp and at some points had struck a deep personal chord within the boy, he was accustomed to such berating - living with his mother, very few screaming fits from anybody outside of superpowers such as Vegeta and Frieza did much to faze him. Despite the woman's fury, he did feel confident that he could make her take back the insults at an indeterminate point.

What he was truly concerned with was the current fate of Sailor Saturn, who Sailor Uranus had seemingly regarded as a co-mastermind of the attack. Had the enraged soldier been in more of a listening mood, he would've gladly pointed out Sailor Saturn's exact objections to Gohan's plan and her eagerness to return for reinforcements. He just couldn't let her take the brunt of her superior's rage. 

"Hotaru, wait a second!" To his shock, the soldier didn't stop, instead actually accelerating her pace as best as possible and not casting her eyes back toward him. Desperate to make his point known, Gohan zipped in front of Sailor Saturn, cutting off her exodus even as Sailor Uranus had already bound up the elevator shaft.

"Hotaru, I..." Gohan wanted to sound as candid as possible with the soldier, but Sailor Saturn returned his benevolence with a pair of icy eyes. She wiped a dab of blood away from her cheek as Gohan began to nearly blubber at her. "I...I didn't think...I mean, I didn't want for any of this to--"

"Save it," She grumbled, again gripping her throbbing shoulder. Gohan moved to offer some assistance to her shaky balance, but Sailor Saturn harshly shoved him away, nearly causing Gohan to fall. The boy glanced at her with disbelief. "It was foolish of me to trust your bravado over my own war experience, I realize that now. I will take my reprimand in full; I don't need a knight-in-shining-armor to plead my case."

"But..."

"Uranus is right about you in a way," Saturn pushed her way past Gohan toward the elevator shaft. "Despite your gallant promises, in the end you are as vicious as your prince. I'll be watching you as vigilantly as she will from now on. Watch your step around our princess."

Without another word, she moved into the elevator shaft and floated up toward the lobby, leaving Gohan shell-shocked and speechless. He let out a defeated breath - while such venom was common in Sailor Uranus, Gohan had never expected the same to come for Sailor Saturn. After all, this had been the same person who had been so intrigued at hearing his story about Namek only hours earlier, the same person who'd told him how much she'd appreciated being looked after by him.

"I think she's been hanging around Uranus too long," Yamcha's voice came from behind him. "She's just a kid - nobody should be that much of a hardass at that age."

"Duty can do such things," Tenshinhan replied as the remaining Z Warriors joined Gohan on the remaining piece of the terrace. "They do have a point though, Gohan, and I think you realize it."

"Ah, come on, Ten; don't tell me you're going along with Captain Blood up there!" Yamcha retorted.

"I don't like it either, believe me..." He shook his head, glancing down at Gohan. "You've got a lot of your dad in you - he always thought he could take on the world, too. They just don't understand that much yet, and like it or not, we're not just random bodies out here anymore; we're part of a cohesive army, their army. Their rules."

"And what about the king?" Gohan asked feverishly. "I mean, I don't want to be kicked out of this after one day on the job!"

"We'll just go with it for right now," Tenshinhan responded. "Resisting whatever judgment Endymion passes down only makes us all look worse, agreed?"

The heads of the others nodded silently, all of them disappointed in the choice but understanding the logic. This wasn't going to be as easy as any of them anticipated; winning battles against the enemy army was one thing, but converting hearts and minds toward their presence was an entirely different war altogether, arguably a tougher one to win.

Hovering over Tenshinhan's shoulder, Chaozu did offer some consolation for Gohan.

"I wouldn't worry so much about the Sailor Soldiers, anyway, Gohan," He said. "There's still a lot of war to fight - plenty of time to show what we're really made of."

Considering that he didn't want to lose out on two new friends, Gohan certainly hoped so.

* * *

It had been a long trip through the bustling Capsule Corporation Headquarters to get to the executive wings; Bulma's personal belongings were scattered throughout the offices she had, and she'd informed them that she'd always kept the Dragon Radar there, within close reach.

While Piccolo had been as conversational as ever (which is to say, not at all) during the trek and simultaneous tour of the building, it had given Michiru - who'd chosen to revert to her normal state for the current moment - time to get to know Bulma. After speaking briefly about their respective time eras and past experiences, Michiru had been impressed with the way the Capsule Corporation heiress had conducted herself over the years. Multiple quests for the Dragonballs in the past had almost ended her life on several occasions; being stuck in the middle of the packs of brutal fighters that warred over the artifacts wasn't the easiest experience to live through. If it weren't for her fiery temper, she would've figured her as a perfect match for Ami.

Eventually, as they'd entered the executive wings, the subject had drifted to Capsule Corporation's technological advances and unique style of development. Bulma's curiosity for technology rivaled Ami's penchant for written knowledge - when the layout of Crystal Tokyo itself had been mentioned, Bulma had seemed ready to burst as Michiru had spoken about their own unique advancements in engineering. On the other hand, even after living with the scientific advances of Crystal Tokyo for what seemed like a dozen lifetimes, Michiru couldn't deny the genius of the capsule technology - while Bulma hadn't demonstrated many of the more advanced models to her, she had boasted that they'd perfected the capsules to the point where they could encase multi-leveled buildings inside their tiny shells.

While she didn't want to call the accommodating Ms. Briefs a liar, she'd believe that when she saw it.

The search through Bulma's cluttered belongings had been painstakingly long, however - she'd angrily stormed through twelve separate cubicles of disorganized gadgets before finally happening upon the Dragon Radar in a closet-sized workroom.

"Here it is," Recollecting herself after a few frustrated shouting fits, the Capsule Corporation heiress handed Piccolo a small circular device. Michiru gazed upon it with anticlimactic intrigue - it seemed to be more of a gigantic stopwatch than a radar. Its surface was a pine green viewer with neon yellow gridlines streaking across its scratched and weathered surface; a large knob protruded out of its top. "It's been a while since it was used, but it should still work."

Michiru took the Dragon Radar from Piccolo's hand, studying the simplistic contraption.

"How could something like this trace such powerful relics?" She wondered aloud.

"I found my first Dragonball years ago, out of sheer luck," Bulma explained as she moved around the small office, replacing the mess she'd created during her search. "After studying it, I managed to build that little gizmo. It can track the energy of the Dragonballs anywhere on Earth!"

Michiru fiddled around with the button on the radar, noticing that clicking it each time reduced the size of the gridlines. After the second click, a tiny yellow circle blipped onto the northern portion of the screen. A third click brought up another one close by.

"Looks like we're in luck," Bulma commented as she noticed the change. "Two of the Dragonballs are close by...not that far from each other."

Excellent. Michiru felt her confidence and excitement building. Fortune was still favoring them for the moment.

"Can you pinpoint the exact locations?" Piccolo asked.

"That could take time," She shook her head. "If I cross-examine the coordinates listed here with maps, I could get you pretty close to them, but not to the exact--"

"Fine, then let's not waste anymore of our time here," Piccolo snatched up the radar and marched toward the doorway, beckoning to Michiru. "We'll make our own best guesses."

Bulma instantly darted after the stoic warrior, cutting him off from the exit. As Michiru saw her flared expression, she smirked at the verbal berating she knew was coming. She would think that Piccolo would've learned after the first time.

"How about 'thank you, Bulma?' 'Good work, Bulma?'" She hissed. "That's something I would expect from Vegeta - being around Gohan so much, I thought you might've picked up some manners!"

"I'm more capable than most of the rabble that hangs around you," Piccolo shot back. "Be thankful that I at least asked you for the radar instead of simply taking it."

"And how exactly do you plan on getting there without food, water, supplies, etcetera?" The Namek's steel voice didn't deter her, which impressed Michiru considerably - even some of Piccolo's own teammates had been more intimidated by him than Bulma was.

"We will manage. The five-year-old I brought out to the wilderness made out quite nicely, if you recall."

"And what about me, teacher?" Michiru coyly crept up to Piccolo, placing a hand on his shoulder and preparing to flex some of her acting muscles. "I've hardly had any experience living off the land, let alone a land that isn't my own. After seeing your lack of sympathy for it--" She fell upon his arm in a dramatic pose, causing the Namek's rigorous stance to buckle significantly. "--what, I wonder, will ever become of me? Will you leave me in the wilderness like an orphan?"

"Now wait just a minute..."

Before Piccolo could react, Bulma snagged the bulky Dragon Radar from his hand. She stomped out into the hallway.

"I certainly wouldn't put it past him. That settles it - you're not going anywhere until I put together a package of capsules for you and Ms. Kaioh."

"Bulma, we don't have time for--"

"No excuses! I'm not about to leave an emissary from my future in your green hands. If you still want the radar, you'll stick around until I prepare everything," She walked across the wide corridor to a small intercom. "And I've still got a lot of company business to take care of today. Since Ms. Kaioh is here, feel lucky that I'm having housekeeping settle you into the guest wing!"

Piccolo looked ready to burst, pushing Michiru aside and storming over to the blue-haired woman.

"If you think that I'm going to tolerate--"

"We're done here for now - if you want the Dragon Radar, you'll have to give some regard for the safety of our guest. She is royalty, after all - now, be a gentleman for once and help her get settled. I'll meet with you later tonight."

"Tonight?! We can't just--"

It was too late; Bulma had already turned on her heel and marched up the hallway, casually tossing the precious Dragon Radar up into the air as she moved. Piccolo's protests died in his throat, and he let out a heave of anger as he tromped back into the office, where Michiru was waiting with a vexing smile.

"I rather like Ms. Briefs," She warmly said to him. "She's a credit to humanity - such concern for others' protection is quite a nice change of pace."

Piccolo looked ready to scream at her, bearing his teeth.

"The only person you'll need protecting from is me when this is all over."

"Is that a threat? I could just ask her to prolong things a bit more - she's more willing to smile at me than even look at you."

Piccolo huffed indignantly, storming out of the office and bellowing something in a harsh language that Michiru couldn't understand. She smirked with satisfaction - while she certainly wouldn't want to delay the search for the Dragonballs even more, it did help to solidify a mental victory for her against the titanic superpower. Aside from obtaining a source of provisions, she considered it as payment for...other insults.

And that, boys and girls, is how you deal with the schoolyard bully. She demurely remarked to herself as she brushed away some of her wavy sea-green hair. More methods will follow.

* * *

It had taken more than enough tries - and if Sailor Mars had fouled up anymore, she probably would've considered forgetting the whole thing altogether - but it had been some inadvertent commentary from Sailor Jupiter that had finally allowed the fire soldier to topple Lord Kaio.

"Gambling using mental bets and losing your mind, eh?" Jupiter patted her on the shoulder in congratulations as Lord Kaio rocked back and forth boisterously. Mars stepped back to avoid the spittle that was being flung from the creature's gigantic maw. "Sounds like you, Rei."

"Great...now it's just up to me..." Venus murmured to herself as all eyes began to focus on her. She turned to her would-be tutor with slight trepidation. Sailor Pluto had been trying to hammer out a perfect plan of attack for Venus's next attempted joke while Sailor Mars had repeatedly tried her luck against the master. "...Are you certain that this will make him laugh, Setsuna? I mean, it just sounds so...so..."

"Cheesy?" Pluto finished, receiving a nod of agreement from Sailor Venus. "That's precisely why this will work. The princess told me this herself - bear that in mind. Are you prepared?"

Venus took a deep breath before kipping to her feet, readying her nerves.

"I'm ready," She cracked her neck and knuckles, psyching herself and striking a defiant stance toward the fighting master. "He's going down this time! You hear me, Lord Kaio? You're going down!"

She received no response except for more of the raucous laughter - the bulky entity still hadn't recovered from Sailor Mars's well-placed joke. Venus fumed angrily as Lord Kaio hadn't even taken notice of her perfectly executed one-liner. Holding back anger, Venus stood silently in place until Lord Kaio was ready.

"Now then," A few moments later, he inhaled heavily, wiping more tears away from his narrow eyes.

Welcome back... Venus chided. Glad you could join us.

"You've all done masterfully well - I don't think I've heard such good jokes in millennia! All of you have passed into the program with flying colors except for your leader - Sailor Venus, have you decided to try again?"

"Have I?" She motioned for the others to move aside, giving her good enough space for a stand-off with the eccentric martial arts master. He was preparing himself for the incoming joke as well, clasping his arms behind his back and replacing his mirth-encompassed grin with a stone mask. He was treating this test as if it were an actual battle. So much the better; it would be more satisfying when he did fall! "I'm ready for you this time; I challenge your sense of humor to withstand this irresistible joke!"

"Somewhat over the top..." Mercury was murmuring in the background. Jupiter and Mars were both nodding in agreement, but Venus didn't let that deter her.

"Make certain that this is a worthy challenge!!" Lord Kaio bellowed back, steeling himself. "Hold nothing back!"

Here goes...

"People who talk about false gods are engaged in...!!" Venus froze, nearly mortified - what was that blasted punchline again? "Engaged in...err..."

"She's gonna blow it..." Mars whispered.

Oh, god, he's losing it, think of something... Lord Kaio's enthusiasm was beginning to dampen, his face growing longer as the delay increased. Venus sputtered a few random sounds to keep her voice going, but a few seconds more and Lord Kaio would wave her away again, potentially leaving her in the dust while the others moved upward to train under him, getting all of that untold power for themselves...

"A memory like a sieve..." Jupiter was muttering to Mercury. Frustration abounding, Venus whirled around and nearly screamed at them.

"Will you please shut up!! Here I am, trying to keep up with you guys, and all you feel like doing is sitting there in idle gossip!!!"

"Idle...gossip?" Lord Kaio repeated, drawing Venus's attention back around. He stood still momentarily, mulling the joke over; a smirk soon sprouted on his face, and a small chuckle slipped out. Sensing victory, Venus belted the entire joke out in as over exaggerated a form as she could muster.

"People who talk about false gods are engaged in idle gossip!!"

That put him over - Lord Kaio began sputtering laughter, this particular pun sending him rolling along the ground. Venus threw up her arms, dancing around triumphantly as her teammates hurried over to congratulate her. She literally jumped into them, overly elated at her success.

"Bwa ha, did you see that!! He laughed at my joke the hardest out of all of you! Take that, Ms. 'Memory Like a Sieve!'" She taunted Jupiter in particular. The thunder soldier shared her pride, though she did pass her a wry smirk.

"You can thank us for saving you the embarrassment at some future date, 'kay, Minako?"

* * *

Lord Kaio spent the better part of two minutes in stitches from Sailor Venus's idle gossip joke. Sailor Pluto had gone with that joke for Minako because she figured it would hit close to home with him - given the strange energies around Lord Kaio, she wouldn't have been surprised to learn that he was also some kind of supernatural being.

By the time the martial arts master had recovered from the latest of his laughing fits, he pulled himself up, catching his breath and gazing proudly upon his newest students.

"Well done, all of you!" He marveled. "You've already taken a tremendous step on your road with me! If I teach you nothing else, always remember the value of a good joke! It can save you even in the darkest of situations!"

Sailor Pluto couldn't completely condone that line of thinking, but she nodded in agreement along with the others, attempting to stay on the master's good side.

"Okay, now that all the formalities are taken care of," Lord Kaio clasped his fingers to his mouth, giving a tremendous whistle that reverberated throughout the grassy plain. "Let's move onto our first level of training!"

Jupiter was shaking her head, her ears rattling from the high-pitched squeal.

"Umm...excuse me, Lord Kaio, but, what was that for?"

"I'm simply calling out your first training partner," The portly creature motioned back toward the grand palace sitting behind him, and from the interior, a small, furry animal came bounding out toward them. It took a few moments for the moving object to penetrate the glare of the sun, but as it drew closer, Pluto was still surprised at what it was - Lord Kaio had evidently summoned...a monkey?

The quick-moving animal scurried across the grass toward Lord Kaio like a simple pet, his face beaming as he caught sight of his owner. It finally stopped in front of the Sailor Soldiers, observing them all with a cautious eye.

"Didn't...know that you were an animal-lover, Lord Kaio," Mercury commented uneasily as the oversized chimp began to scratch itself.

"This, my students, is my pet monkey, Bubbles," As Lord Kaio provided the introduction, Bubbles waved one grubby hand at their group. Silly as she realized it was after the fact, Sailor Pluto caught herself waving back. "Don't be fooled by his girth - he's actually much faster than he looks. I'm going to give him a head-start, and it will be up to each of you to capture him. Simple enough?"

"Almost too simple!" Sailor Jupiter pounded her fists together, bracing herself. "Give me thirty seconds and this ape's all mine."

"Ah, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait..." Lord Kaio held up a chubby hand, and he momentarily seemed lost in thought, scratching his chin and muttering to himself. "What was the catch for this portion of the training...I seem to have forgotten after all these years...ah, yes, of course!"

Sailor Pluto felt her senses heightening - whatever his revelation, she knew there was going to be some other kind of obstacle thrown in their path to interfere with the chase. She didn't suspect that there was much that all five of them couldn't handle together; then again, for all of his oddities, Lord Kaio did seem to possess some amount of guile beneath his thin sunglasses.

He casually held up both hands, and a small orb of energy sprouted on each one, hovering slightly above his trimmed fingernails. As the Sailor Soldiers watched on with caution and mysticism, Lord Kaio suddenly began counting slowly down. For each finger he dropped, an energy orb vanished, and each time that happened, Sailor Pluto felt more and more uneasy.

"Ten...nine...eight...seven...six...five...four...three...two... one..."

He held the last finger aloft for all of them to see, and with one exaggerated motion, he brought it soaring downward toward the ground. Before Sailor Pluto could imagine what the extravagant conclusion was meant for, she felt her entire body collapsing on itself, and she found herself face-first in the grass, her entire frame immobile.

"What...the...hell...?!!!" Sailor Jupiter cried out from nearby. Sailor Pluto found that she wasn't paralyzed; she could move about, but as she attempted to crane her neck toward her comrades, it felt as if a crushing mass of weight had been thrust onto her, making her muscles work many times more than they should have for even simple movements.

The others had been forced down onto the ground as well, each of them having their own degrees of difficulty in resisting the incredible influx of invisible weight that had been dropped onto them. Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus seemed to be having more success, each of them struggling onto their knees to fight the spectral force. Their exposed limbs were rippling under the strain, and Sailor Pluto imagined that if they'd been alive, their tendons and tissue would've been shredded almost instantly.

"There is your catch!" As Sailor Pluto painfully jerked her head back toward Lord Kaio, she was amazed that he wasn't suffering in the least bit from this new phantom force. For that matter, neither was Bubbles. "A catch of gravity, that is! This force you're feeling is ten times the gravity of Earth; my old training planet had this much force to it. Training under these circumstances can increase your power many times over, but you must adjust to it first - until you can move about easily in this terrain, you won't be ready to start anything that I have planned. Hence, catching my precious pet!"

"No...problem....." Sailor Jupiter flashed the master a wicked grin as she pulled herself toward where the plump monkey was still standing. Though she appeared to be suffering greatly under the strain, she was gradually making progress toward the furry critter. Within a minute, she'd pulled herself practically to his feet. "Hah, nice try, Lord Kaio, but this monkey is--"

She made a desperation lunge for the monkey's foot, but Bubbles not only evaded her grasp, but he zipped forward with a speed a monkey shouldn't have possessed. He bounded off the back of Sailor Jupiter, causing her to splat painfully onto the grass, and darted forward and off to the distant horizon in a matter of seconds. Sailor Pluto blinked, unable to believe her eyes. Bubbles had the speed of a cheetah, in this gravity.

"–m...min...e..." Jupiter croaked, her face buried in a heap of mud.

"Well...Bubbles seems a bit sluggish - too much soft living these past millennia," Lord Kaio mused to himself. "In any event, best of luck to you! Don't feel too discouraged...it took some of my former disciples weeks to finally catch Bubbles! So, I wouldn't worry yourselves over time and all of that..."

"Did...did he say...weeks???" Mercury was having the most trouble out of all of them, collapsing onto her back just as she'd made it to her knees. "Oh, Sir Isaac Newton, if only you were here to see this..."

Sailor Pluto concurred as she finally managed to force herself up onto her feet. With her height, her center of gravity was quite high, and thus maintaining balance was a battle within itself. As she painstakingly stumbled after the quick-moving monkey, she found it hard to fathom that she was even going through with such ridiculous nonsense - joking was one thing, but she was Guardian of Time, mistress of the ages! And yet here she was...dead, without the aid of her staff, and chasing a brainless monkey that belonged to a catfish martial arts master who happened to possess the secret to some ultimate power.

Somehow...it put everything in perspective.

* * *

It was around seven that evening when Bulma finally returned to the private guest quarters with their provisions. The sliding of the automatic door created a squealing noise, arousing Michiru from her light doze on a thin couch in the living room. She sat up with a start, rubbing her hazy eyes as the blue-haired woman stepped through the narrow doorway with a warm smile. A thin carrying case was tucked under her arm.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Bulma said as she set the silver case down on the table.

Michiru swung her legs around, standing up and blinking away the last bits of grogginess with slight embarrassment as her eyes landed on the clock hung against the far wall. She'd intended to only stay off her feet for a few minutes when she'd first laid down, but that had been four hours ago.

"Don't mention it," She attempted with futility to cover a yawn. "Sleep...has been a luxury for us, as of late."

"I can relate, believe it or not," She motioned for her to sit down again. "The last sleepless time I had, an entire planet was blowing up around me...but that's a long story."

"I imagine so," Had they had more time, Michiru would've been curious to hear it. As Bulma unlocked the latches on the carrying case, Michiru turned to her. "Again, I must thank you for your help. You have perhaps been the most civil out of all of your friends. They are all...interesting characters, especially that Yamcha."

Bulma paused at that, her demeanor hardening.

"Exactly what do you mean by that?"

Seeing the jealousy sprouting almost immediately, she decided that she didn't have the heart. Bulma obviously wasn't the teasing type as Haruka was. Besides, she'd been too generous a hostess to insult in such a way.

"A true cavalier," Michiru replied decisively, still remembering the occasions during the joint meetings when she'd caught his roving eyes. "Dashing and brave; you're lucky to have someone like him."

The stone-face softened, and Bulma's cheeks reddened in slight embarrassment.

"Well, I...sorry, I didn't mean to insinuate anything."

"Don't be - it's a beautiful thing, isn't it? Being in love, finding someone you can be secure with," She continued. "If you had said something like that about mine, I would react in the same way."

Bulma's relaxed attitude returned as she opened up the case; Michiru was relieved - she'd struck a common chord with her.

"To be honest, the first time I searched for the Dragonballs, I wanted to wish for a boyfriend like that. Instead, I found Yamcha along the way. He has his moments...but I do feel that way about him, secure and everything. I hope you and your boyfriend are the same way."

Michiru stifled a small chuckle.

"Ah, you could say that."

Turning her attention back toward the contents of the case, Bulma pulled out one of many cylindrical, battery-sized capsules, presumably of the same variety she'd been mentioning earlier. Three rows of seven capsules were neatly packed into the case, the top row consisting of red-tinted capsules, the middle row of blue, and the bottom row of yellow.

"I've tried to put together enough of a set to last you for some time," She explained. "I can't see Piccolo touching these with a ten-foot pole, so you'll be able to keep all of these for yourself."

"What does the difference in color mean?" Michiru wondered.

"These red ones," Bulma flipped the pill into the air. "Activate them and you'll get a decent-sized cooler packed with food, twenty to thirty meals worth depending on how frugal you are. All the different food groups are included, a bunch of different drinks, too..."

She replaced the capsule and motioned to the blue ones.

"These contain a fully-fueled hoverbike, in case you need to get where you're going in a hurry," Bulma explained. "There are some instructions in each one; I know it's not the best type of transportation around, but--"

"Don't worry," Michiru shook her head. "I've had plenty of experience with motorcycles in the past."

"These last ones here," Bulma indicated the shining yellow capsules at the bottom, and Michiru noticed that they were slightly bigger than the others. "Be extremely careful with these, setting one off releases a small one-story house with all of the fixings, bath, kitchen, shower, bedroom..."

Michiru was boggled at the very idea as she stared into the tiny capsules.

"This will be more than enough...Bulma, this seems like entirely too much; it must be costing your company significantly for all of this."

"Hey, whatever I can do for the future, right?" Reaching into her pocket, she extracted the Dragon Radar, activating it and showing her the same two golden blips she had observed earlier. "Now, I checked out the locations of these first two Dragonballs. They are pretty close - one of them is in the Japanese city of Tokyo. My best guess would be the Nerima district...but I can't be certain. The other Dragonball is somewhere on the outskirts of the city, just at the foot of a low-level mountain range."

Tokyo? In this era? Michiru was surprised at the mention of the name - before the great Cataclysm that preceded the rise of Crystal Tokyo, Old Era Tokyo had been the site of the prolific battles between the Sailor Soldiers and the most vile monsters to threaten Earth. Michiru could still remember the conclusion of the wars against the Death Busters and Sailor Galaxia as if they had occurred yesterday...but the Z Warriors certainly hadn't existed at that particular junction in time, nor had Capsule Corporation or its remarkable technology been remote thoughts. Michiru supposed that a lot could've happened between this particular point and the Cataclysm depending on how far back in time she and Piccolo had gone...for the moment, to avoid a potential headache, she decided to remain pleased at the coincidence - a visit to a past version of Tokyo was a welcome surprise.

"Is something wrong, Ms. Kaioh?" Bulma had noticed her eyes drifting, and Michiru shook the daze off.

"Sorry, it was nothing; please continue."

"That's about the size of it - as for the exact locations, you're on your own; just remember: wherever the blip is, the Dragonball is somewhere in that area...oh, and here."

She reached into her pocket, witdrawing a small wallet.

"If you're passing through Tokyo, here's a little bit of spending money, just in case."

Michiru again conveyed her thanks to the woman; she considered refusing such generosity, but at the very least, she could pick up some souvenirs for Hotaru and the princess.

The door suddenly whooshed open again, the brighter lighting of the hallway obstructed this time by an imposing figure. Bulma and Michiru remained silent as the hulking Piccolo squeezed into the chamber, his face tight and his mood obviously vile.

Michiru was tempted to pass some commentary in his direction, but the green fighter's wits seemed to detect the sarcasm, and a malevolent glare from her partner kept Michiru to simply passing a wry smirk in his direction. Wordless, the Namek stalked into the next room, closing the door behind him.

"More of a morning person, I assume," She remarked. "I'll put a smile on his face one of these days."

"Best of luck to you," Bulma closed the carrying case, laying the circular Dragon Radar on top. "Not even Gohan can do that very often, and he's the closest one to him out of all of us."

Standing up from the couch, Bulma stretched her arms and moved over toward the closet.

"Well, I've still got to close up shop for the day down in the labs; let me just get some extra sheets for you."

"That's not necessary, Ms. Briefs, I can--" Bulma was opening the narrow closet near the entrance and reaching up to the top shelf for a set of pearl-white sheets when something in the cubicle's corner caught Michiru's attention. Hurrying forward almost like a small child, Michiru nearly shoved Bulma aside to get a closer look; she was pleasantly surprised as she withdrew a beige violin case from the corner of the closet. The weight of the case told her that the instrument was still inside.

"So that's where that old thing got to," Bulma marveled as Michiru blew a thin coating of dust off of the case's surface. Her heart racing slightly, she undid the brass latches, flipping the top open to reveal an old but relatively unused violin resting in the plush interior.

"Nothing personal, Ms. Briefs, but I wouldn't suspect you to have an affinity for music," Michiru commented.

"You would actually be correct - when I was really little, Mom got that for my birthday; I had to suffer through two years of practice before she finally let me quit. I just couldn't get into it; have you had some experience?"

"Not to brag, but I am quite renowned for my ability in my era," Michiru was already taking the violin back toward the sofa before her etiquette caught up with her. "...Err, that is to say, if you don't mind."

Bulma shrugged nonchalantly, setting the sheets down on the nearby table and heading back toward the door.

"If you're that good with it, then you can keep it; you'll be getting much more use out of it than I ever will."

Michiru felt herself beaming, as if she was receiving a coveted birthday present. She hadn't been able to sit down and actually play in so long a time.

"If Piccolo decides to whisk you off in the middle of the night," Bulma extended a hand toward Michiru, who gladly returned the gesture. "It's been a pleasure - I hope I can get to see you again before you return to the future."

"I must thank you again for everything...I wish you well." Michiru smiled warmly as Bulma turned and exited the living room, leaving the water soldier alone. Excitement re-energizing her, Michiru took a seat, straightening her posture as she took the violin in one hand and its bow in the other.

I'm probably a bit rusty...let's see... She cycled through her memory at some of the easier pieces she'd learned, trying to recall any names whose notes and measures she knew by heart. Bach sounds nice...Partita Number One...what was it...oh, right, B Minor.

Positioning the butt of the violin underneath her chin, Michiru closed her eyes and began to play. The first few measures were shaky as she adjusted to the new instrument, but as her comfort level grew, so did her playing quality. In less than a minute, the chords and dynamics began to flow out of the instrument, the pitch perfect. It was such a relieving sensation for her; for the first time in what seemed like forever, she felt herself relaxing, drifting away from the world...

* * *

The chamber provided by Capsule Corporation's Housekeeping Authority had been more than adequate for human tastes and overly extravagant for his. The bedroom he had chosen was well-tended and furnished; not a speck of dust spoiled the room. The chairs, tables, pictures, and the gigantic bed easily told Piccolo that these rooms were meant for the highest elites of humanity.

While the gesture was nice - to be fair, Piccolo suspected that Bulma had arranged these lavish accommodations for Michiru's sake only - the Namek still felt his blood boiling from the earlier exchange. Even though Bulma had indeed given them the promised Dragon Radar, Michiru was too exhausted to begin the search at this particular junction. One night of light sleep would revitalize her, but it was more time lost, six or seven hours that could possibly be used for fulfilling a quarter of their quota.

Fuming, Piccolo crossed his legs and seated himself on the crimson carpet, using his power to propel his body upward. He felt his balance wavering slightly, and for a moment, he realized that it was taking some effort to concentrate his ki on keeping his body steadily afloat.

Then again, when was the last time you truly had any sleep? His inner consciousness chided him. By general nature, Namekian anatomy was able to carry on bodily operations longer than human cells, thus allowing him to go without sleep for hours longer than any typical human. What more, by Piccolo's nature, he wasn't much for extended slumber - too much sleep led to lethargy during the waking hours, something a warrior like himself could not afford.

Still, the extensive amount of combat along with his personal overnight vigil during their first night in the future era had left his cells particularly drained - stopping dead cold at the end of today had only allowed the fatigue to catch up with him.

Perhaps some meditation could--

As a slight noise pricked at his large ears, Piccolo's eyes snapped open. The walls of the guest quarters were quite insulated, nearly soundproof to human ears, but his keen auditory senses caught something, a faint melodic tone coming from the living room.

He listened a bit closer, the smooth, graceful tone soothing to his ears. He hadn't noticed any type of radio in the living room; perhaps, his traveling companion had found a way to keep herself occupied. So much the better: the more time she wasted in her own pleasantries, the less he had to deal with her.

He breathed out slowly, attempting to maintain his even temper. It had been bad enough that she'd humiliated him on a few different occasions, and as much of a superior warrior he was to her, her sultry wit had found its way under his skin in ways he couldn't describe. After the instances today, his pride had taken as much of a hit as it would have if he had lost a physical battle.

Still...she does keep things interesting.

Piccolo remembered when she'd charged back into the fray against the alien commanders the previous evening, how she'd completely ignored his warnings and actually swept him onto the ground in a rare moment. He also recalled one of the few times he hadn't heard sarcasm in the woman's voice: when she'd defended her abilities against Piccolo's lecturing during the trip toward the time portal.

All of it did prove one useful thing - she was staunch as a defender of Earth, willing to go to any lengths for king and country. Even further, she was hungry and fiercely independent, eager to serve alongside the lesser humans of her society on the same battleground, and if necessary, she was ready to die with them as well. Considering the unwillingness of some members of the elitist class to fight for their world, such as Vegeta or even Kami to an extent, Piccolo did have to respect Michiru's resolve...it reminded him of himself to a degree...

He felt his thoughts beginning to trail off in his mind as the smooth music was beginning to sink into him. As his head began to droop, Piccolo allowed his feet to touch the ground, sighing as he blinked his weary eyes. Annoyed as he was at her snobbish attitude...

He pressed the switch next to the door, causing it to whoosh open loudly. Glancing out into the living room, he saw his partner seated firmly on the couch, smiling with her eyes closed as she was playing a slightly worn violin. As his tall frame appeared in the open bedroom door, she ceased her music, glancing up at him with slight surprise.

"Is something wrong, teacher?" She inquired.

The nickname still irked him, as before, but Piccolo wasn't in the mood for arguing. Instead, he passed her a small smile.

"Nothing," He turned around. "Just felt like sleeping with the door open."

He thought he heard Michiru chuckle a little bit as he resumed his floating position in the bedroom. Moments later, the violin music started up once again; Piccolo closed his eyes and began to meditate, letting out one last deep breath before letting his mind slip away.

* * *

"And he led them down into the gullet of the alien garrison!!" Sailor Uranus was nearly shouting at the top of her lungs, her voice echoing off of the curved walls of the palace study as King Endymion attempted to maintain an even tone. There was no sense in both of them becoming so blinded with fury that rationale was impaired - whenever Sailor Uranus became passionate about anything, such an occurrence was bound to happen. But as the veteran commander paced back and forth across the carpet, angrily laying out the details of the recent counterattack against the alien command outpost, the king was forced to agree with much of her infuriation. "Were it not for our interference, they would've been slaughtered, chopped to pieces!!"

Endymion nodded his head silently as he rested his arm against the ornate cushioned chair he was seated in. Uranus continued to fume, shaking her head as she observed her king.

"Your Majesty, I understand your willingness to placate these warriors, but this recent episode is inexcusable! You must take Gohan off the front lines!!"

Endymion sat up slightly and passed a stern look to Sailor Uranus.

"First of all, I suggest that you restrain yourself; you are in no position to judge me at the moment."

Uranus breathed outward and relaxed her tense muscles, though the fire under her eyelids was no less diminished.

"Sailor Saturn was grievously injured, the princess to a lesser degree..."

Endymion raised a hand and halted her ranting.

"And dozens of their warriors were killed in the process," He pointed out. "You did say that the piles of corpses were up to your knees. Aside from the repulsion of the palace assailants last night, we have not achieved this much success against the enemy's forces until now."

That point caused Sailor Uranus to stop her relentless pacing, her anger giving way to trepidation and confusion.

"You can't honestly be implying that this was a sound strategy...with all due respect, your Majesty, he used the princess as the worm on the hook to execute this maniacal plan. He was so quick to wager the future of our kingdom...your own daughter...for the sake of what might not even be a major strike against the enemy in the long run."

Endymion listened closely to Uranus's words, but internally, he had already come to the same difficult conclusions. When the dutiful commander had first given him the full story on the battle within Le Fin, he had felt the pangs of anger toward the miniature warrior for putting his only daughter at such risk. But with Usagi becoming involved with the military end of royal duties - even more with the invasion of the alien army - Endymion had promised himself that he would not let fatherly intuition interfere with her development as a soldier. Painful and difficult as that choice was, coddling his daughter from the darker sides of her responsibilities would hinder her in the long term.

Incidents like Le Fin almost forced him into reneging on those decisions, even if - according to Sailor Uranus - Usagi had voluntarily went along with the unstable infiltration plan. As he leaned forward in his chair, he did remember the infatuated glances that the princess had been casting toward Gohan during the meetings in the throne room and the central intelligence chambers. While he'd silently hoped to himself that she wasn't being charmed by the innocent banter of the boy, he did have to consider that Gohan's somewhat overly joyous attitude and great strength had placed a pall over her judgment, however unintentional it may've been.

He stood up from his chair, stepping calmly over to the nearby shelf to replace the tome he'd been perusing. He was still wordless, the small pieces of armoring he wore under his regal attire chiming slightly as he moved. Great as the victory was against the enemy contingent - the morale boost it had provided the Crystal Tokyo Special Forces had been exponential as the story had spread through the ranks - Endymion still had to keep his fighting forces in line. He still had to be king.

"My apologies for not appearing more sympathetic about the situation," He finally replied as he put the large volume away and turned back toward Sailor Uranus. "I agree with your stance. As zealous as Gohan is about fighting this war, he is...inexperienced."

He thought he saw Uranus breathe a sigh of relief.

"Then he will be removed from combat?" She inquired. "And kept away from the princess?"

Endymion eyed the tan-haired woman carefully - she certainly was a major proponent of that hands-off strategy, as were the rest of the Outer Soldiers. While a little fear could be healthy, division among their strongest ranks would not bode well for the future.

"I will trust my daughter's intuitions in her personal life," He decreed with a confident tone as he seated himself again. "But I will grant your request that the boy be remanded to the confines of the palace for the moment, at least until we can find a better use for his enthusiasm."

"Your Majesty," Sailor Uranus looked slightly alleviated, but her relief was not as absolute as Endymion would've liked. "I must say that granting only half of that measure is not enough. The princess loses her head whenever she's around the Saiyan boy. Considering this latest episode, there's no telling what type of--"

"So, his heritage still bothers you?"

Uranus stopped momentarily - she hadn't noticed her slip. Nonetheless, she put her arms up, looking willing to defend herself.

"Doesn't it disturb you in the least? The prince would not participate in the fighting today, and now this."

Endymion chuckled a bit.

"You forget, you shunned most of my race in the same manner and for similar reasons as you did Vegeta's people during those days on the Moon, and unlike the Lunarians, Earth never came into direct contact with the Saiyan race. I only know of their barbarism and brutality through the surviving members of the Silver Millennium."

"Nevertheless..."

"I wouldn't concern yourself too much with Vegeta," Endymion continued, putting on an assuring smile to ease his subordinate's nerves. "His arrogance will suffice in keeping him on our side but not in our way. You'll be glad to know how relieved I was that he found a common enemy in this Damos character."

"And you trust his word that this warlord even exists?" Uranus incredulously asked.

"Even if he doesn't, it gives Vegeta reason to support our cause for survival, or at the very least, to keep from turning against us. As he considers us useful to him, we may do the same--" He raised his hand again as Sailor Uranus opened her mouth. "--and, your objections to his continued presence are noted."

"His Majesty is most gracious in acknowledging his loyal warriors," She stood completely erect as she spoke, a particular bite behind her words. Endymion didn't reprimand the sarcasm but was dangerously close to doing so. "And might I ask the future plans for Son Gohan? Should he be confined to the royalty suites, I have an awful hunch that he may start...looking for trouble, or perhaps making some of his own."

"No doubt..." Having Usagi for a daughter and Serenity for a wife, Endymion was quite accustomed to dealing with self-perpetrated trouble. Having Gohan around Usagi would be the proverbial fire and fuse...unless...

Sailor Uranus's voice chimed back in a few moments later, and Endymion blinked in slight embarrassment; he'd lost himself in his musings.

"Tell me what you're thinking, Your Majesty," She asked with anticipation.

"I was just remembering back to the introductions of the Z Warriors. There was one thing I hadn't noticed until now."

"And that is...?"

"With the exception of the rogue prince and Piccolo, each of them was a student of a prominent martial artist of their time. And with apprenticeship comes the ability to teach others one's ways. The success within Le Fin has proven that their knowledge and techniques would be a perfect foil for our enemies..."

Sailor Uranus leaned in with an inquisitive gaze, and Endymion straightened himself, realizing that he was talking with himself more than with his commander.

"May I ask your impartiality on this next question, Sailor Uranus?"

The woman's cheeks sagged a bit, her instincts obviously wary, but her silent nod of acknowledgment allowed the king to continue.

"In your expert opinion as not only a commander of the Special Forces but as one of my champion vanguards..." He tried to choose his words carefully. While Sailor Uranus hardly reneged on her word, this next statement was about to test her steadfastness. "...Do you believe that our special forces could benefit from such knowledge?"

Uranus lowered her eyes, stifling a shudder. As the king patiently awaited a response, he could tell by her shifting that she wanted to deliver an emphatic 'no' to the request; she'd already seen these warriors beginning to turn the tide for their forces in the war - more reliance on their prowess was perhaps an insult to her ability as a commander, but Endymion had to chance it; in his judgment, a few hundred bodies trained to resist the alien army's brutal style of war was much better than a handful.

The fuming woman finally glanced sternly at him, her mind set.

* * *

Grateful as Piccolo was for the brief rest period within the safe walls of Capsule Corporation, he was glad that he could finally get back to pursuing their objective – considering the amount of distance that they might've had to cover in the search for the Dragonballs, it was wise not to waste any time dawdling in luxuries while their comrades were still entrenched in the war zone.

Sailor Neptune – once again in her transformed state – was currently securing a small leather carrying case on the front lawn of the facility as Piccolo examined the Dragon Radar. Normally, he would've objected to the extra baggage of the cumbersome violin on such a long journey, but he did have to admit that her skill with the instrument was superb – it had done much to alleviate his churning senses of concern the previous evening. Having it along could've made the trip more pleasant, and even if he commanded her to leave the violin behind, she more than likely wouldn't have listened to him anyway.

Let's see...

The nearest Dragonballs to the Capsule Corporation building were remarkably close to each other, only separated by several dozen miles, and for that Piccolo was very thankful. It was another sliver of good luck in a miniature series of it as of late. He didn't mind it, but he feared that too much of it would've made it doubly disappointing once worse karma found its way back to them.

As he studied the locations carefully, Neptune sauntered over to him, the loaded beige violin case clutched in one hand.

"Well, teacher?" She piped up; Piccolo didn't look up. "What brilliant course of action do you advise?"

He sighed a bit – her cynicism was truly beginning to grate on him. Fortunately, he did have a decent plan in mind.

"Considering the proximity of these two, it would be best if we separated, one of us going after each," He showed her the blipping gold dots on the circular device. "With the one in the mountains being closer, I suggest that you take that one while I fly to the north, into the city."

Neptune faltered, shooting him an annoyed look and putting a free arm on her hip.

"And what makes you qualified to take the easy road out?" She grumbled.

"I'm faster in the air than you are," he explained dryly. "I can reach Tokyo in a matter of a few hours. And besides..." He passed her an almost malicious grin. "...you can use the experience. It may be a welcome change from the soft life within the safe confines of the Crystal Tokyo Palace. It'll harden you a bit, add to your effectiveness in battle."

"Oh, thank you for the genuine concern for my well-being," Neptune shook her head with exasperation, sarcasm oozing out of her voice. As seconds passed however, a mischievous grin crept onto her face. "Not that it matters in the long run; I'm no stranger to the rugged outdoors as you would believe. You on the other hand..."

"Excuse me?"

She chuckled a bit.

"Well, considering your appearance and mannerisms, I don't think you're quite accustomed to life within a city like Tokyo, am I right?"

Piccolo paused at that one; true, his primary living grounds had always been the natural world, far away from the overly tangled web of civilization that the humans had spun, but that much was not about to dissuade him. If nothing else, his plan would save their journey time, and that was what mattered.

"...You would again be correct, but we have no time to be picky about this. We can have nearly a third of our quota within the next few days if we proceed. Besides, how different can human culture be within the walls of a place like Tokyo? You forget that a number of my comrades come from similar backgrounds, and I have had more than enough patience for them in the past."

"True...but I think you're going to be in for a surprise," Neptune chided him with a sly smirk. "As one who doesn't understand much about human culture from what you say, you may be the one who gains more out of this than me, and not all of it will be pleasant, I guarantee it."

Piccolo simply tossed the Dragon Radar to her, ignoring the commentary.

"Take it," He said. "I have enough of an idea where to look for the Dragonball."

"You're certain?" Neptune looked a bit surprised.

"If something unexpected occurs, I can always find you without much trouble," Piccolo reasoned. "Though I doubt it will be necessary. Let's meet back here once we locate our targets."

"If you insist; you're the teacher," Neptune pulled out a small object, volleying it in his direction. Piccolo deftly caught the sqaure shaped projectile, realizing that it carried a large amount of human currency. Before he could inquire, Neptune spun on her heel and started away from him, throwing back one childish glance. "Have fun, and don't take candy from strangers while you're in Tokyo!"

If only I didn't need her, I'd close that mouth of hers... Putting the wallet away, he wondered how Sailor Uranus dealt with the woman's excessive witty chatter considering her fiery temper.

He shook his head before propelling himself into the air and rocketing away in the early morning sky. Once he arrived in Tokyo, his search couldn't have taken him too terrible long – he was willing to bet that he would have the Dragonball by nightfall depending on circumstances. Bulma's generous monetary donations to both him and Sailor Neptune would help him provide himself with sustenance just in case.

Sailor Neptune's childish warnings kept echoing within his head despite his best efforts to banish them. As far as she was concerned, he would be as helpless as a frail child within Tokyo, which only annoyed him further. How inept and incapable did she take him to be? He'd been there during the battles between their forces and some of the most powerful overlords in the Universe, he'd transcended life and death, and he'd dealt with more chicanery from Lord Kaio, Yamcha, and Krillin alone than he would've liked. What possible harm could a series of hours within a human settlement be?

He picked up speed, mulling over the exact section of Tokyo that Bulma had pointed out to him prior to their departure. She'd said that the Dragonball rested there somewhere.

Ah, yes...the Nerima District. This is going to be too easy...

* * *

While the Z Warriors and Sailor Soldiers had already had their share of awkward moments during their brief alliance, this particular episode had to be the most vexing for both sides so far in Krillin's humble opinion. Even if he hadn't been the target of the day for Sailor Uranus's wrath during the aftermath of their recent battle under Le Fin, he had felt his muscles cringing as the Sailor Soldier commander's voice had boomed throughout the chamber at Gohan. He'd been close to stepping in and attempting to restrain the woman's rage, but such an act probably would've been futile at any rate.

Besides, as much as he hated to cast a downer on the good-hearted Saiyan hybrid, Krillin had silently agreed with Sailor Uranus's assessment of Gohan's unorthodox battle tactics once the details had been learned. Typical as it was of Gohan - Krillin's experiences on Namek with him made such a daring strategy seem tame - they had spent a lot of energy altogether during the vicious melee, and Krillin very much doubted that even Gohan's freakish endurance could've held out forever had they not arrived to back him up.

The downtrodden attitude among them remained even after they'd returned to the palace grounds to clean up the mess of that afternoon. While he hadn't reacted pleasantly at first, Gohan had come to understand his error as well; his silence and reserved expression during their current meeting with the king and the remaining Sailor Soldiers revealed that much. No arguments, no excuses, not even a single word of defense. He looked genuinely sorry for the incident.

"Do you understand our aversion to your actions, Son Gohan?" Endymion - unlike the hot-tempered Sailor Uranus - still spoke in a calmer tone as he stood from his throne. That surprised Krillin as well - he'd always figured a father for protecting a daughter more than he would a son. "And do you understand that while under our service, you are subject to the rules of our army?"

Gohan straightened himself, though he didn't let his glance waver away from the king. He seemed eager to dodge the gazes of Sailor Saturn and Sailor Uranus.

"I do, sir."

"Then it is my decision that you be removed from front-line combat indefinitely, until further notice."

That proclamation caused a stir among their group; Krillin and Chaozu both exchanged concerned looks - the punishment did indeed seem harsh, even considering the circumstances. Survival was still key, and now one of their toughest scrappers had been benched for the duration. The level of calm had escaped Endymion's voice when he pronounced the decision, leading Krillin to believe that the call wasn't easy for him to make either.

Yamcha seemed ready to burst out against the verdict, but he was promptly cut off by Tenshinhan, who whispered something quick to the fiery warrior. Yamcha pushed the bulkier three-eyed fighter away slightly but remained silent before the king could inquire what was wrong.

Gohan himself looked crestfallen by the decision, and Krillin could understand why - it had been him that had convinced them to come here to fight in the first place, and he possessed more passion and heart toward winning this war than perhaps the rest of them combined. Even further, the fresh battle seemed to act as a magnet for any type of Saiyan blood - now, he had been reduced to a spectator, a civilian.

Endymion paused briefly, studying the reactions of his hires with a careful eye. He always seemed to be taking mental notes whenever he gazed at them, Krillin had noticed. A slight whisper, even a quick movement of an arm hadn't escaped his attention during their meetings.

"Now, before we adjourn, I do wish to make a request," The king announced to all of them as he reseated himself. "Do not believe that the results of this latest skirmish were entirely negative - after all, a mere handful of you were able to best a legion of enemy soldiers. Strong as you are, this is no easy feat, and I commend you on your work."

Gee, that's comforting. Krillin had suffered several close calls while being mobbed during the casino battle. As Chaozu's mental powers of telekinesis and telepathy along with Gohan's tough reserves had kept many enemies from advancing on them, they had gone after the next smallest of the targets - him. It had been almost sheer luck that Krillin hadn't gotten more than bruises and a heavy case of fatigue out of the fight.

"However, I do believe that these skills can be more valuable if they are practiced within greater numbers. With your permission, I wish to use all of you - including Son Gohan - to integrate some of these more basic techniques of yours into our regiments."

A small hush fell over the Z Warriors as they glanced back and forth at one another, some with confusion, others with trepidation. It was Tenshinhan who regained focus first. As he responded to the king, Krillin noticed for the first time that Endymion always seemed to be staring in his general vicinity whenever making statements or inquires to their faction. True, Tenshinhan had been more vocal in the decision-making since Piccolo's departure...maybe it could've been that third eye drawing the attention as well.

"What exactly do you mean by 'basic,' King Endymion?"

"Sailor Saturn and Sailor Uranus informed me of some of your tactics in dismantling the enemy garrison - excellent speed and precision, quick and accurate attacks, and the tenacity to repel physical attacks and energy blasts without loss of stamina."

"In other words, you want us to open an academy here, I presume?" Yamcha replied, the sarcasm obvious but not pointed out by the king.

"My soldiers are quick studies, and teaching the field commanders first would allow them to transfer the skills to the underlying squads. I don't expect perfection, don't get me wrong. But I do believe that every little skill taught to our forces will aid against our foes - perhaps this will also allow our soldiers see you more on a personable level. They can see you as fellow warriors instead of revering you as freakish mercenaries...nothing personal, of course."

Point. Krillin conceded. Endymion was certainly craftier than his pleasant facade let on - it would've been nicer to have the Crystal Tokyo defenders backing them in a battle as well - training the squads in countering energy techniques would only make the enemy body count grow.

"Well, I think I'd speak for everyone here when I say that we accept the challenge," Tenshinhan replied. "It won't be nearly as perfect as what a lifetime of training would provide, but I do agree - every little bit helps."

"May I..." Gohan stammered a bit, still somewhat in his shameful mode from earlier. "May I make my own request?"

King Endymion passed him an acknowledging nod, which brought a smile back to Gohan's face.

"If we are going to help with the army, then I ask for permission to help teach these skills to the Sailor Soldiers myself."

Ooh, big mistake, little buddy... Krillin cringed within as he saw Sailor Uranus's eyes lighting ablaze at the very idea. He just couldn't get on her good side...if she had one, that is.

"I think you're overstepping yourself, Gohan," She spat with a condescending tone. "We can get along just fine on our own, and we have proved that!"

"Well, no offense, but..." Gohan looked intrepid for a moment, as if searching for the right words. "...You were looking a little sluggish towards the end of that fight. And your reaction speed's not that good to begin with."

"...E-Excuse me...??"

"Your peripheral vision seemed kinda lacking...you kept getting blind-sided from the left. Plus your sword strokes were pretty wild - a lot of wasted energy there..."

Geez, Gohan, you never learn, do you? Krillin was tempted to provide protection for his friend in case Sailor Uranus charged down the steps and attempted to strangle him, but the king stifled her with a quick wave of his hand. The princess quickly covered her mouth with her hand in an attempt to cease potential laughter. Saturn was rolling her eyes and shaking her head, though Krillin could see a small amused smirk creeping onto her face as she observed Sailor Uranus's reaction.

"Well, you did say that every little bit helped," Gohan dutifully pointed out. "It wouldn't be much of a big deal - besides, I do want to make up for the trouble I caused earlier...please give me this chance to redeem myself a bit..."

Endymion considered the point himself, nodding approvingly a few moments later.

"I have no objections to the idea, though I will leave the level of training of the Sailor Soldiers to their own particular discretion. My main concern is the front-line infantry that has suffered the brunt of the enemy offensive."

"By the time we're done with your boys, they'll be able to chew up nails and ask for seconds, king," Yamcha boasted. "And Gohan here learned from one of the best - you hang around Piccolo long enough, you become as much of a master as he is."

"Despite the offer, I must agree to Sailor Uranus's stance," Sailor Saturn interjected. "We can certainly train well enough on our--"

"I accept!" ChibiMoon cheerily interrupted her counterpart. "When do we start?"

Gohan smiled back at ChibiMoon, his warm mood quickly gaining ground on his temerity.

"Tommorrow morning? Is there some kind of open space around here for some sparring?"

"The barracks, where the soldiers are stationed. We can use Alpha Battalion's; Captain Benson wouldn't mind--" She seemed to catch herself, timidly turning back to her father. "--with your permission, of course."

Endymion nodded proudly toward her.

"You always did land on your feet, my daughter," He commented. "And Sailor Uran--"

"I decline," She spat at first, causing Gohan to wince, but she finished after a deep breath. "Respectfully...of course."

"Are you sure?" Ever persistent, Gohan walked up to her and extended a welcoming hand in her direction. "I used to use a hunting sword; I could probably improve your tech--"

"I said I decline...respectfully." Through gritted teeth, Sailor Uranus forced a smile, though her response came more vehemantly than before. Gohan seemed willing to pursue the matter, but Krillin gingerly stepped between them before the dam holding back the tall woman's temper disintegrated completely. He made an exaggerated gesture in the direction of the remaining Sailor Soldier.

"Sailor Saturn!" He cried. "Will you, uh, be joining us as well?"

The girl seemed unwilling to argue, though her response was plagued with an annoyed tone.

"Well, somebody's got to keep an eye on you around the princess, Gohan," She replied with a stinging voice. "I accept."

"Heh, not quite the reason I was looking for, but..." Gohan scratched the back of his head sheepishly as King Endymion stood up.

"I'll inform Captain Benson of the agreement," He said. "You may coordinate the efforts with him. We are adjourned!"

* * *

The dusky air felt cool and refreshing against Piccolo's scaly skin as he descended onto the grounds of Capsule Corporation. He paused momentarily as he realized that he was alone on the expansive lawn of the facility, and he allowed himself to sit down onto the soft, inviting grass. He certainly wasn't winded from the flight back from the city – he could've easily gone a substantial distance more without breaking a sweat – but his mind was still buzzing from the events that had taken place in town over the past few days. The discovery and retrieval of the Dragonball that was safely clutched within his left fist had been a bit more than he had bargained for, and now whatever knowledge he'd possessed concerning the human race was in danger of being banished from his mind after what his eyes had beheld in the city called Tokyo.

It had been bad enough having the locals giving him strange glances and provided murmuring gossip about his odd form – all of which his sensitive ears managed to pick up – but the youths that had come into possession of the Dragonball had acted strangely enough to make even Son Goku scratch his head had he been there. They'd given the Namek enough frustrations to overwhelm even his sturdy patience with their childish bantering. The only redeeming value about the kids who'd eventually conceded the ball to him was that they were surprisingly skilled in the fighting arts, which may've been useful someday.

For the moment, however, he decided to write them off as the 'fringe' of the human race.

"A man who can turn into a woman...girls with the barbarism of Saiyans...how my comrades ever grew up in such an absurd culture is baffling..."

Why Piccolo even considered going back to that cluttered confusion of industry at some point boggled even his logical mind, but a promise was a promise. And despite his reluctance toward the strange group, if he returned from this mission alive, he would have yet another protégé...he seemed to be collecting them as of late.

A few minutes passed as he closed his eyes and attempted to relax his nerves. The breeze helped to assuage his bitterness, though his recuperation was disturbed shortly after by the sounds of footsteps approaching from the building. Piccolo glanced up and spotted the smug face of his partner, who'd opted out of her transformed state and into a set of street clothes, probably on loan from Bulma.

Piccolo was surprised to see her – she'd either been forced out of her hunt by some unknown circumstance, or she'd been more resourceful than the Namek had given her credit for. When the water soldier silently produced a glittering golden orb from her hand, Piccolo felt his shoulders sag – she was never going to let him hear the end of this one.

"Evening, teacher," She tossed him her Dragonball, which he caught with his free hand. He still maintained a neutral expression to keep from giving her the satisfaction, but she still looked incredibly smug. "I've been waiting here all day – I figured your sophisticated wit and obvious superior skills would've gotten you the Dragonball by now. Mine was a bit tricky, but all it took was a little exploration, and there it was."

He silently held up the artifact, rising to his feet and walking away without paying her any mind.

"What happened..." She said in a mocking voice. "Was the big bad city too much for the great Piccolo?"

Piccolo slowly turned and stalked back toward Michiru, her fair face still possessing an uncomfortable degree of smugness. She innocently gazed at him, her attitude grating his already agitated nerves severely. "I told you it was different than the world you grew up in. Perhaps the student has taught the master something for a change?"

He leaned forward as Michiru began to giggle.

"I'm going inside."

Spinning on his heel, he trudged back toward the house as Michiru burst out laughing.

Side Story 1 featuring Piccolo's trip to Nerima coming soon if anybody's interested...


	15. Friendly Exchanges

Chapter 15: Friendly Exchanges

It had been a handful of days since Kakarotto's son had blundered his way to victory in the basement of the human casino complex, which Vegeta had been somewhat impressed by - when the last reports had been returned to the Crystal Tokyo field commanders, over two hundred enemy units had been terminated. Even more, after Sailor Uranus and her hired hands had exterminated the rabble, the lesser human grunts had managed to loot an extensive horde of supplies from the command post. While some of the plunder was too alien for the humans to make use of, the largest prizes had been scores of medical supplies – bandages, painkillers, sterilizers, and the like – that their medics had been sorely lacking. Several undamaged sets of body armor had also been recovered from some of the corpses for study.

Given different circumstances, Vegeta more than likely wouldn't have heard this news from the commanders themselves - his lack of participation in the defenses as well as his clear disregard for the humans had made their allies shifty and secretive in his presence - but the juicy prospect of only a small group of resistance soldiers valiantly standing their ground against a swarm of marauding enemies had been too scintillating for the higher-ups to keep behind closed doors. Within hours, the news had been buzzing through the ranks and the refugee camps, causing a noticeable stir. When Vegeta had returned to the palace in the early hours of the following morning, there was still a large group of civilians and soldiers mingling in the palace gardens, drunk on cheap spirits and celebrating the victory, a faint glimmer of hope for their dying race.

Despite the short-sightedness of the humans - considering how much of Crystal Tokyo still remained in enemy hands, two hundred troops were practically fodder - Vegeta couldn't fault the royalty for generating such positive momentum among the ragged survivors. Weak as Endymion was physically, he possessed the shrewdness necessary for a ruler.

Still, the resurgence posed no immediate interest to him. Amazingly, no communications equipment had survived the battle, nor had there been anything remaining to indicate where exactly the main operation of the alien army was located.

That news had been disappointing. Not that Vegeta was looking to forward the human offensive - if they could spend enough time drowning themselves in the fruits of a minor victory, they could definitely see to capitalizing on the enemy on their own time. The Saiyan prince had simply deduced that wherever the main staging area of the alien army was, Damos would surely be there as well, pulling all the strings. Given Vegeta's experiences serving under Frieza and his lieutenants, he was quite familiar with battle tactics of a supreme commander - since Damos had not personally accompanied his three associates to the doorstep of the Crystal Tokyo Palace to clinch the victory, something Frieza had been quite fond of doing during his personal conquests, it was very likely that he was nowhere near the heart of the fighting. He was either holed up in a fortress on the planet surface, or perhaps he was even watching the war unfold from the comfort of a starship far out of Earth's orbit, as they'd earlier hypothesized.

Such had been the question he'd hoped to answer over the past days; while Kakarotto's son and the others were busy endearing themselves to the future humans – they'd actually offered to teach the basics of ki warfare to the Crystal Tokyo army, something that Vegeta considered an aberrant waste of time – he'd been conducting a private little war of his own within the streets of the city, ducking and weaving past larger enemy contingents and pouncing like a wolverine on unlucky stragglers. He'd attempted to interrogate a few of the smaller grunts, young ones who'd lacked the killer instinct that came with battle experience and thus might be more prone to breaking against the demands of a fiercer opponent. Much to his frustration, his results had been less than satisfying – most had refused or had been too afraid to betray the location of their master's hiding place, and the ones who'd collapsed under the pressure had provided nothing but false leads, sending Vegeta running all over town.

Today, however, he had a new idea, one he'd previously neglected.

He kicked aside a corpse that once resembled a gun-wielding grunt. Mangled as he was, he was most intact out of the entire dozen that Vegeta had ambushed only minutes ago. As with the rest of their kind, they'd been practically defenseless against his ambushes as long as he kept his battle power masked from their scouters. To think that the Saiyan prince had once shared that weakness of overly relying on technology revolted him somewhat. Even more revolting was that he'd picked up the tricks of repressing his energy and using his mind to sense for others from his 'associates.'

Bending down and brushing away the blistering smoke rising from the soldier's body, Vegeta removed from his bloodied head the prize he'd coveted - even after a thousand years, the scouter technology had not changed.

He strapped the tiny instrument onto his ear, the fit somewhat tight. The pink eyepiece was cracked slightly from the grunt's rough landing, but brilliant gold characters were still displayed on its surface.

_Let's see if these work the way I remember..._

He clicked the large tab on the scouter's side a few times, causing the screen to cycle past various options - short and long distance radio mode, environmental readings, a diagnostics menu...

_Ah, here!_

Vegeta smirked as a small line of text reading 'Access Primary Info-Net' flashed onto the viewscreen. Just as with Frieza's armies, the scouters were still patched through to some type of main information network that provided all the essentials to a soldier on the move - troop movements, priority messages, orders from field commanders...and, in particular interest to Vegeta, command structure. He was somewhat surprised that Damos had created such a similar provider system for his troops as Frieza had, but the efficiency and overall simplicity of the technology was nearly absolute - it warranted no improvements or changes.

As a command prompt materialized beneath the first set of text, Vegeta spoke for the scouter's voice recognition circuitry to hear.

"Request access to Primary Info-Net."

The device didn't respond at first, and Vegeta suddenly felt his confidence dwindling as a separate message appeared.

"Scanning...bio-signature??" Apparently, there had been room for improvement, after all. Before the sense of surprise could even diminish, Vegeta cried out as he felt his ear beginning to burn and ache, some circuitry within the scouter prodding his ear canal. Twisting about in discomfort, Vegeta still managed to catch another message appearing on the scouter's screen - unknown bio-signature; request to Primary Info-Net denied.

Screaming from the prodding pain in his ear and the slamming of that particular doorway into Damos's military mind, Vegeta reached one tight hand up and crushed the frail device between his fingers. The screen crumbled into tiny specks of shiny dust, and Vegeta forcibly removed the intruding earpiece from his head, smashing the ruined circuits onto the ground in a rage.

Still, even as Vegeta felt his own warm fluids dribbling from his throbbing ear, he did have to admit a grudging respect for the security measure - it appeared that he would have to enlist in Damos's army in order to gain the greater privileges of the scouter. Whatever bio-signature the scouter had dissected him for was probably apparent in each member of the warlord's army, and considering the prudence of even devising such a system, Vegeta imagined that it contained a significant amount of fail-safes to spoil any chance of getting around it...

A quick prick to his senses snapped him out of his musings. It appeared that his experiment wasn't entirely secretive after all - a small collection of power levels mirroring those of the soldiers he'd just dismantled was quickly swooping down on him from the northeast.

Not wanting to be taken off-guard, Vegeta hurried across the boulevard and dove behind a number of burnt and crumpled human ground transport vehicles that had been piled up in an unstable stack. He let out a calming breath, attempting to push down his power level below the sensor tuning of their scouters. As he peered out from behind the twisted, gnarled chunks of metal, he was somewhat disappointed - it was only another squad of grunts, these of Damos's aerial brigades. Vegeta had since been able to make the distinctions between the different specialized divisions of the opposing army - ground troopers wore predominantly white body armor, the marksmen donned stockier violet uniforms along with domed helmets to match their arm blasters, and the air squads dressed in sleeker, more aerodynamic models in a combination of blue and a mint-tinted green. Strangely, these particular grunts were bearing a neon insignia on their chestplates that Vegeta was unfamiliar with at that particular moment; as none of Damos's other forces bore the mark or anything like it, he gathered that they were part of a more specialized regiment.

The largest of them was glaring around at the crippled messes that remained from the previous squad, his drooping cheeks flaring as he cursed loudly.

"We need to get these bastards, now!!" He fumed as Vegeta took a quick read of their power levels, and while they were a bit sturdier than most of the common rabble he'd seen so far, the Saiyan prince was still nearly laughing at the pitiful energies. He could probably vaporize them all without ever being detected - despite the ease of disposing of such fodder, it was an exercise that never lost its appeal to him. Nonetheless, it might have been entertaining to watch the bumbling fools in action. The stand-out of the group reminded Vegeta of Frieza's corpulent bodyguard Dodoria, just as he should've – aside from the brown skin and glossy green eyes, this grunt and Dodoria were of the same race, right down to the raspy voice. "Treyos, give me an assessment!!"

One of the nearby soldiers had taken a less explosive reaction to the slaughter, surveying the strewn bodies and calmly shaking his head as he read some readouts on his scouter.

"The humans haven't shown such aggressiveness in prior encounters - this is the handiwork of those new surprise warriors, or maybe even the Sailor Soldiers at the very most."

The little schoolchildren? Such a thought amused Vegeta; aside from the vicious Sailor Uranus, he couldn't imagine any of the high-and-mighty of Crystal Tokyo even soiling their gloves with enemy blood. He leaned in slightly, ducking his head low and listening further.

"Do you suppose they could be moving against the Siege Wall?" The gaunt analyst speculated. "It doesn't appear that a large attack group did this - they could've sent a few of their new hands in as a scouting measure for a possible assault."

The commander nearly laughed in the face of his subordinate as Vegeta made a mental note of the name.

_Siege Wall, eh?_ It was a promising title, one that had not yet been mentioned by the Crystal Tokyo upper brass. And from the sense of urgency that had crept into the calm soldier's voice, Vegeta imagined that it held some special significance for Damos's army...perhaps important enough for the warlord to attend to himself.

After listening for a few more minutes to the overweight grunt ridiculing his comrade for even suggesting the possibility of a human offensive after such a one-sided war, Vegeta finally heard the statement he'd begun hoping for - the squad was returning to this alleged Siege Wall to file a report about the incident; evidently, the grunts Vegeta had disposed of had belonged to one of the garrisons stationed there.

Lining up in a tight formation, the aerial squad soared upward at a somewhat remarkable speed off to the north. Counting down from ten to give him enough breathing room and cover from their scouters, Vegeta lifted off into the pre-dawn air and followed in the shadows. They'd been quicker than the prince had given them credit for - by the time he'd reached a respectable speed, they were already closing on the horizon, the descending fog obstructing his view.

He reached out his senses, attempting to track the soldiers through the mess of ki interference that was still plaguing the atmosphere of the entire city. As he finally settled on their location, he began his clandestine pursuit.

* * *

"Rise and shine!" ChibiUsa's tranquil dream was abruptly cut off by the sound of an overly cheery voice practically in her ear. She grumbled lowly as she raised her head from her large feather pillow; she squinted her eyes as she noticed that the bright overhead chandelier had been turned on, flooding the entire bedchamber with an obnoxious amount of light. Glancing at the side of her bed, she rolled her eyes as she gazed straight into the eager face of Son Gohan, fully dressed and filled with energy. 

_Doesn't he ever knock?_

Tempting as he was, the all-encompassing silkiness of her sheets was much more appealing at the moment; a quick look at the crystal clock hung on the far wall added to her complacency - four in the morning. Anybody who could've willfully possessed energy at this hour was superhuman in her book.

Burying her head in her pillows did little to solve the problem - Gohan simply resorted to tapping her on the shoulder, lightly at first, but as time ticked by, his poking and shaking became more incessant, as if a puppy was jumping on her.

"Come on, ChibiUsa, it's time to train! You promised!" Gohan prodded her, his voice ringing in her ear.

Finally, she relented, sitting up with a tired moan. She brushed some of her thick pink hair out of her drooping eyes, her shoulders sagging.

"Gohaaaaaan...." She whined as Gohan continued to pull her out of her round bed. "People fish when the sun comes up, people make food when the sun comes up, but I've never heard anything that says warriors have to train when the sun comes up! I can get just as much out of training at ten or eleven o' clock in the morning as I could this early!"

"Ten or eleven?" Gohan seemed genuinely surprised as the princess reluctantly tore herself away from the sanctity of her sheets. "That's practically half of the day right there! Besides, it's more invigorating to be up with the sun; it gives you energy!"

_Speak for yourself..._

This had been the fourth day straight he'd intruded ChibiUsa's bedchamber to drag her off to the training she'd so hastily agreed to. Even as she threw on her robe and stumbled across the floor toward her nightstand where she kept her transformation compact, she felt her legs stiffening, her muscles still freshly sore from the intense regiment Gohan had put them through for the past three days. Laps around the palace - several on foot, several more in the air - honing basic attack techniques, strength training, more laps, practice using and defending against ki attacks, sparring, cool-down laps...she was a princess, not a gymnast!

ChibiUsa finally reached the shimmering crystal locket, its soft glow warm against her hands as she let out a substantial yawn. Normally, she'd considered it more of a fashion accessory than anything else, wearing it around as nothing more than a common pendant. She'd nearly forgotten of its true potential until this war had begun. The power of the Silver Crystal within its jeweled casing was connected to her more than anybody, and despite her fatigue, it always seemed to lend her an extra boost of energy when it was in her possession. As her small fingers tightened around the locket, her fatigue began to slip away, the soreness of her tendons dissipating. It was relief, however slim the feeling was.

She turned back toward Gohan, yawning one more time.

"Same as before?" She inquired as the young Saiyan folded his arms. "Twenty trips around the palace?"

"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of thirty - we were pretty quick yesterday," Gohan's words caused ChibiUsa's heart to sink and her legs to tremble. She didn't think even Captain Benson's prescribed training regiments for the Special Forces were this rigorous. Gohan seemed to sympathize with her discomfort. "Hey, you're making progress! If we keep this up, you'll both be wrecking machines in no time!"

"Right...wrecking machines..." If this kept up, ChibiUsa was simply going to be wrecked.

"Look on the bright side," Gohan moved closer to the door, patting the weary princess on her shoulder as he opened the door. "This is nothing compared to what Piccolo would put me through when he first trained me."

The very idea frightened ChibiUsa - Piccolo was intimidating enough as an ally, but as a teacher, as a person of authority...? It was a wonder that Gohan could be as confident and optimistic as he was - it also stirred some concern for Michiru, who was currently alone in the warrior's company.

"What did he do?" The princess wondered.

"Same thing pretty much," Gohan informed her. "Except he didn't very much believe in breaks...if I wasn't eating or sleeping, we were sparring together...he was tough, but it worked out for the best in the end."

"Wow..." Poor Michiru - she suddenly felt glad that she hadn't gone back to get the Dragonballs with him.

The two proceeded out into the corridor, waving a quick hello to the two vigilant sentries that kept watch over the princess's bedchamber. As they stepped down the glass hallway, ChibiUsa felt her spirits lifting as she saw Hotaru waiting patiently ahead. While she looked equally as drowsy as the princess - her narrowed puffy eyes indicated that Gohan had given her a similar wake-up call - ChibiUsa was pleased that she'd kept her end of the agreement and was giving Gohan a chance to make good on his word.

"Well then, Gohan," Hotaru blinked away her fatigue as she met eyes with their trainer. "What's the agenda for today?"

"Taking it up a notch," Gohan replied with anticipation. "I say thirty warm-up laps around the perimeter before we get started, fifteen on the ground and fifteen in the air."

The announcement wasn't altogether thrilling for Hotaru - she'd never been much of a marathon athlete, and these last few days had been particularly taxing on her. Gohan had allowed a few rest periods during the first few days of training, but they'd decreased in length as the days went on - ChibiUsa decided not to count on any today, if he was going to push the envelope.

"And afterward?" She continued, attempting to appear level-headed and enthusiastic.

"I was thinking of a small experiment..." Gohan informed them as they proceeded toward the elevator that led back down into the main hub of the palace. "I want to start seeing how well your powers mix with the basic techniques we've been doing."

"Should be interesting..." Hotaru absently said.

The trio proceeded in silence toward the elevator, but as Gohan reached for the call button, ChibiUsa pulled his hand back.

"Gohan..." His skin felt soft, distracting her momentarily. you take the first car by yourself? I just want to talk to Hotaru about something..."

The elevator was quick to arrive, the glass doors separating and allowing them access with a friendly pinging noise resonating through the speakers.

"Well, I mean there's no need to keep secrets from me; if something's wrong, my lips are sealed," The boy offered. ChibiUsa threw a glance at her counterpart, who was still looking sullen and tense aside from her drowsiness; the princess had wanted to talk to her about this for some time.

She pasted a pseudo-embarrassed expression on her face, uneasily twisting around as she fake-stammered some words.

"It's just...you see...something, of a, uh...feminine nature," The explanation caused Gohan to flinch uncomfortably, his mind probably ringing back to his indecent incident with Hotaru during his first morning in the palace. Hotaru had been particularly chagrined by the encounter, but when it had reached the ever-receptive ears of the princess, she couldn't help but find Gohan's naiveté charming...cute to a degree. As the Saiyan's face reddened slightly, ChibiUsa turned her head as a smirk emerged on her face.

"Ah, well...take your time..." Gohan sauntered onto the elevator. "I'll be waiting, err, downstairs, whenever you are, uh, ready..."

He quickly closed the doors and sent the car on its way. Alone in the corridor, Hotaru flashed the princess a bewildered expression.

"Feminine nature?" She repeated incredulously. "All respect, your highness, but what are you getting at here?"

"Hotaru..." The princess started carefully, knowing full well that bringing this subject up risked a large argument. "...The fight in Le Fin."

Hotaru exhaled quickly, shaking her head in annoyance.

"What about it?"

"Don't you think you're being a little too hard on him? I was as much a part of his plan as you were...if it weren't for him--"

"Then you'd probably be dead," Hotaru retorted. "You saw what nearly happened--"

"He protected us!" ChibiUsa contested. "He wouldn't have let anything happen to us, you know that!"

"I..." Hotaru looked agitated, her mouth moving but no words exiting - as she swallowed with a bit of difficulty, ChibiUsa gathered that she didn't know what to say.

"He drove off the rest of those creeps when you'd lost your weapon," ChibiUsa staunchly reminded her. "He protected you then..."

"That was..." Hotaru shook it away, hitting the call button on the elevator. "That was his decision - I could've gotten myself out of that mess without his help. All respect, ChibiUsa, but I think you're relying a bit too much on his abilities to get us through things."

The verbal jab struck deep, and ChibiUsa was compelled to fire back.

"What are you insinuating, that I'm too weak to fight??"

"You may be our princess and heiress to this kingdom," Hotaru offered calmly. "But you've allowed your emotions to cloud your judgment - how often has your life been in danger since you began courting him?"

"You're one to talk..." She snorted indignantly as the elevator slid to a stop at the floor entrance. "...I caught a glimpse of your face while he was carrying you to the ambush site. You didn't seem to mind him holding onto you too much. I can't imagine what the trip toward Le Fin was like..."

"That has nothing to do with anything!" Hotaru responded almost too quickly, almost too vehemently to the accusation. ChibiUsa narrowed her eyes, her suspicions being confirmed as Hotaru's face began to redden. She seemed to realize her outburst as well, clearing her throat calmly. "My point is, strong and eager as he is to fight, it's just like Haruka-papa says: he's too dangerous to simply let loose at will... as a Sailor Soldier and your protector, I need to keep an eye on him while he's in your presence. I nearly failed my mission once - I won't take that chance again."

"Even before my friend?" ChibiUsa frowned sullenly. "Hotaru..."

"I'm sorry..." Hotaru breathed as she stepped onto the elevator. "For what it's worth, I protect not only as my princess, but as my friend. If Piccolo and Michiru-mama fail and something happens to Haruka-papa, you'd be the only one I'd have left."

Despite the proverbial brick wall Hotaru had erected, ChibiUsa slowly nodded, joining her in the elevator.

"I understand..." She hit the holographic keypad, sending the crystalline car down toward the palace hub. "But please don't hate Gohan...I can feel that he's doing his best for us. I believe in that promise of his."

"I don't...hate him, no...It's just that my duty to you and Haruka-papa come first."

As the two rode down, passing the offices of the commandants and the armory en route to the hub, ChibiUsa leaned over toward her friend with a mischievous glance. The argument had been brief, but it had pointed out a candid fact for her.

"How old do you think he is?" She wondered out loud. "I never did get a chance to ask his age."

"About our age, I'm pretty sure," Hotaru nonchalantly replied. "Though he acts well beyond his years...and I'm never quite seen a physique such as his on any--"

"Ah-ha!!" ChibiUsa pointed an almost accusing finger at Hotaru, surprising her. "So you were checking him out, I knew it!"

Hotaru uneasily cleared her throat again.

"It's simply an observation," She stammered. "Anybody with a good set of eyes could point out how built he is for his age."

"Uh-huh..." ChibiUsa's almost malicious grin didn't falter despite the lame explanation. She lowered her finger, clasping her hands behind her back and rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. "...I ask you about the builds of the male guardsmen all the time, and you never seem to have the time of day to take a glance at them...it's always the color of their hair or something dumb like that."

"I'm not interested," Hotaru protested, her irritation returning. "I'm a soldier first, not--"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." ChibiUsa trailed off, enjoying the sight of Hotaru squirming about uncomfortably. She'd never been confident when it came to the opposite sex; it was one facet of her personality that ChibiUsa found plain baffling. However, one of the rare secrets that ChibiUsa did know about Hotaru's interests - something that even the over-inquisitive Minako and Makoto didn't know - was that she was a sucker for an athletic build. Hearing her talk about Gohan in such a manner... "Well, I hope you're up for a little competition."

"Excuse me??" Hotaru asked nervously as the elevator slid to a gentle stop at the foot of the hub. Gohan was patiently waiting for them, doing a small bit of shadow-boxing by the elevator entrance to warm himself up. ChibiUsa passed her one last glance.

"We'll see who gets to be the teacher's pet after this is over with," She smirked toward her as the doors slid open. Gohan glanced over toward the pair, smiling warmly. "We're ready!"

"Alright..." Gohan turned his back, cracking his neck. "Do that...thing, that you do, and we'll be good to go."

ChibiUsa smirked in minor embarrassment at the nervous comment. The first morning of practice, she'd completely forgotten that she hadn't had the pleasure of morphing into her Sailor Soldier form in front of members of the opposite sex, disregarding her father, of course. The in-between state of the flashy metamorphosis - specifically, the momentary lack of clothing - had frozen Gohan in place for several moments that first day. Since then, she'd promised to be more careful, tempting as it was to tease him about it.

"Moon Crystal Power!"

* * *

"The Earth research materials you requested, sir," The voice of his personal servant made the general jump slightly - as with most of his personal internal strategy sessions, he'd been so enraptured in his thoughts and theories that he hadn't even heard the aide entering his chambers. Quickly clearing his throat, Damos nodded gratefully to the robed man and took a small data-chip from his outstretched hand. The servant spun around and exited the chamber without a further utterance. 

Damos gazed into the transparent object thoughtfully. As was customary before every campaign, Damos had sent down a number of information gatherers, photographers, and other such spies to perform some background checks into Earth's history, specifically in technological and military evolution. Preliminary reports about the planet's checkered war history could've entertained Damos for hours, but now he'd requested the compilation had been meant to make good on his time travel theory regarding the human queen's new hires. Such theories were good to have, but facts were the supreme commander's best friends.

He slipped the chip into a tiny slit in the back of his scouter, effectively plugging it into the Primary Information Net and spilling its data onto the dark-colored screen. As Damos surveyed the initial readout, he breathed a bit heavily, running a hand through his thick black hair and blinking to keep his drooping eyes focused.

_Sixteen thousand separate files...Earth's been a busy planet._

Considering the lesser war histories of many of the more ancient planets that Damos's army had conquered in the past, the humans of Earth had seemingly nothing better to do than battle with each other or against potential invaders over the past centuries. Perhaps that explained the unusual idealism of benevolence and tranquility from the captive Earth queen – after spending so long mired in the trenches, perhaps the human race had been looking to forge a new destiny in this Crystal Tokyo kingdom, an admirable effort. Bad timing, but admirable nonetheless.

Cross-checking the dates of the earliest material sent him back nearly two thousand five hundred years in Earth's timeline. If these warriors were pulled from the past eras of Earth, he hoped that they fell somewhere in that historical range.

"Initiate search program," He said. The scouter dutifully complied.

"Subject..." Damos mulled it over for a second. "...Saiyan."

The search program began running, text flashing across his scouter's screen at a rate too fast for even his sharp eyes. Damos huffed indignantly as the words he didn't want to see materialized at last - no matches found.

"Very well...subject...Namek."

After another sprint through the mass of text, the same result was returned. He cursed mildly; how could such phenomenal beings slip through the annals of Earth history, no matter how eccentric their timeline was? As he rested his mind on the conundrum, an alternative route occurred to him - even he had lost track of some of the various technical names denoted to all of the races serving in his army; could Earth historians have followed the same course?

"Subject..." Damos considered his options before running through another futile search. Simpler terms such as 'monkey' or 'green' certainly wouldn't do. Then Damos remembered from Infernia's photos that two of the warriors had shared a noteworthy similarity between them - lightweight orange gi with an identical insignia, perhaps of a particular army of their era...doubtful with Earth's track record of employing technology over superhuman attributes. But the report from the surviving commander of the massacre days earlier had indicated strong reliance on martial arts from all of the mystery warriors...

It was worth a go.

"Subject: martial arts schools."

Another lightning-fast search produced the exact opposite of his previous attempts: a list totaling in the early thousands. Damos cancelled the search before it was completed, deciding to expedite the process. He refined the search to include only school emblems, hoping for a match to the one that the two mercenaries were wearing.

The list was just as expansive as before, but it would at least save him the trouble of reading through the life stories of every grand master involved with every school. Sighing, he began to scroll down the list, checking the symbols as he went.

Despite the tedious process, Damos did find himself enjoying the mystery and chase of these new threats. It was a rarity in his profession, especially with how carefully he proceeded in all of his conquests, when such ugly little nuisances reared their heads out of the clear blue sky. As much as they'd slammed the door on a quick victory for his forces, Damos would enjoy hunting these shadows down and blotting them out. It would only add to his confidence after the capture of Earth was complete. The involvement of the strange fighters in the destruction of the command post just outside the humans' western garrisons only further condemned them – Damos had already boosted the bounties on their heads and despite their power, there were still only seven of them.

With as many reserves as his army still had, at the very least, Damos would still be able to drown the super-fighters in wave after wave of ferocious, profit-hungry mercenaries, including the members of his elite Horde if necessary.

It took nearly a half hour to pick his way through the list, but as his large eyes were beginning to droop again from boredom, he shot up in his seat - he'd finally hit pay dirt. While a few of the other symbols had been maybes, this one left no doubt in his mind.

"New search, subject: Kamesennin School of Martial Arts."

A single result was returned - while information within the file was sparse, all Damos was concerned with was the era in which the school was in operation. After frantically scouring the text for exact numbers, a grin of pure satisfaction appeared on his chiseled jaw and a triumphant laugh escaped his throat: the school had run for quite some time until the last grand master - listed in the file as Roshi among other aliases - passed away...over a thousand years ago. Unless the two mercenaries had an affinity for centuries-old traditions - and Damos was willing to bet that they didn't - they had been brought forward from that era somehow...and now things were beginning to fall into place: the dates also corresponded to the last days of the planet Vegeta, thus explaining the appearance of the Saiyan prince, and while the Namekians were fledglings at that point in history, they were a long way away from dying out.

_So the clever queen decides to use time travel to bring in reinforcements...gutsy and unpredictable. Perhaps she's more than just a gold-hearted seraph after all..._

Strangely, a generous portion of the file was focused on the school's involvement with a martial arts tournament, in which they held quite a few championships or at least high-ranking finishes. Following up on his recent string of good luck, he ran a new search program, wondering if perhaps there was a connection between those two Kamesennin fighters and the rest of their band.

"Subject: Tenkaichi Budokai."

Sure enough, more results came back, not as many as the prior searches, but a significant amount. Damos narrowed the search to include only entries related to the Kamesennin School of Martial Arts. He would see if good karma was still on his side...

He wasn't far into the first entry when his scouter began to beep again. He rolled his eyes with annoyance – whatever it was had better have been important.

"This is the general," He spoke flatly into the scouter's transmitter. "What is it?"

"General, this is Special Operations Com-One. Sorry to bother you, sir, but we've received a report from the ground forces that you might want to hear."

Damos shook his head as he swallowed back some frustration – this had been why he'd posted one of his trusted Horde members in command of the ground forces, so various little nuisances and oversights could be corrected without interfering with his matters within the fleet.

"Without sounding repugnant, Com-One, couldn't this message have come through to Bortyx at the Landing Zone?"

"The senior ground staff has been notified of this as well, sir, and they requested that you also be informed."

"Very well then, what is it?" Damos leaned back in his chair – if Bortyx had deemed this necessary, it couldn't have been a mere calculation error. "But make it quick."

"The Trisgammans, sir," The officer's words made Damos bolt back upright immediately. "All three of their scouter's bio-signatures have completely vanished off of our radars."

"Details," Damos demanded, his tone suddenly urgent.

"As per your request, they were transferred to surface patrol routes on the far eastern borders of the city, several dozen miles from the Siege Wall, section E-13. All of our logs indicate that their signals simply blinked out near the crimson anomaly recently discovered in the area."

"Have search parties been deployed to ascertain their status?" Damos snapped once again. Zebus and his two brethren had been part of a species that Damos had always kept on a short leash, mainly because it was his own army that had led the slaughter of the Trisgammans decades ago. The remaining three that now served him had been barely more grown than larvae when Damos had retrieved them off the surface before the insect race was completely wiped out. Like many other scant species that served in his army, he'd taken them under his wing and enhanced them with his gene therapy, raising them as full-fledged warriors, the last of their kind with the benefits of permanent longevity to serve as immortal memorials of their race so long as they weren't killed in battle. It wasn't a philanthropic gesture so much as the showcasing of a trophy for his conquest of the Trisgamman race; he'd carved the last of their kind into more perfect specimens of warriors than their backwoods, primordial culture ever could've produced – with proper training, their unique skills had proven to be among the most useful of all the conquered species under his banner.

However, their education and upbringing under his rule hadn't subverted them in the way it had for other acquisitions. Trisgammans inherently distrusted other races – being unofficially labeled as second-class muscle by the general population of his army as a result of their conquered status didn't help matters – and with the public knowledge of the general's hand in the destruction of their homeworld, Damos had become fairly certain that they would butcher him in his sleep if given the slightest chance...with the fiery temperament of Zebus especially, muddling with the army's conquest efforts wouldn't be far out of reach. With the recent setbacks in their current campaign, he couldn't help but feel nervous about possibly another variable in the equation.

"Yes, a team was dispatched to the anomaly site at once. When they arrived, they discovered the anomaly's research team and their assigned escorts slaughtered. There was no immediate indication that it had been the work of the Trisgammans, but a number of the team was definitely killed by ki-based attacks.

_Dammit..._ That explanation opened a potential world of possibilities as to what happened to the insect soldiers. It would be easy to write them off as the insurgent murderers, but to do so would be inefficient, illogical, and impractical with the enemy side now possessing warriors with similar techniques and training that could've easily been the perpetrators. Still, the bugs were in the area...he wondered if the enigmatic anomaly had anything to do with their disappearance?

"Any suspicious activity from the crimson object?" He demanded.

"Not at present – the recovered data logs from the dead technicians didn't reveal anything of importance."

Damos didn't reply with a command at first, mulling over the best courses of action to take. It was unlikely that they had defected to the human side – if natural Trisgamman tendencies against other races wouldn't stop them, Damos wouldn't have imagined that the humans would've taken them in with open arms. No, if anything, they'd simply gone AWOL, but for what reason, Damos couldn't guess at.

"Transmit this to Bortyx: re-deploy search parties, armed heavily," Damos finally decreed. "Cover all known search perimeters to which they were assigned. Fan out at command's discretion. If you find them, bring them in alive if possible."

"Of course, general, Com-One out."

Damos killed the link; he was tempted to tear out the scouter's communication circuitry to ensure his privacy, but the inhibitions of his position forbade such recklessness. He wasn't incredibly worried about the misconduct – disobedience in the best case scenario or outright mutiny at the most extreme – of three of his soldiers, though as he settled back into reading up on his army's newest opponents, his mind momentarily drifted to the deal he struck a while back, one that should've kept them in line; he hoped it hadn't been forgotten.

* * *

"I gotcha this time...!!!" Sailor Jupiter was the most persistent out of all of them in the fight to capture Lord Kaio's precious pet. While the four remaining Sailor Soldiers had taken a small break from the chase, the thunder soldier was still hard at work, looking to catch the monkey more out of personal pride than anything else. Sailor Pluto had to admit that despite Sailor Jupiter's finest efforts, it was quite amusing to watch Bubbles deftly darting away from her grasp with apparent ease.

Her latest attempt was proceeding as dismally as her others - through clenched teeth and with an almost homicidal glare, Sailor Jupiter made another quick dive at Bubbles. The monkey seemed nonchalant about her approach, dodging off to the left just as Jupiter was in arms reach of him. The momentum mixed with the intense gravity caused Jupiter to flatten out onto the grass once again, her face buried in the mud.

"She'll be the first," Sailor Venus noted, massaging her calves as she continued breathing somewhat heavily; she'd been the last of them to finally take a break from the chase.

"The first to catch him?" Mercury asked, adjusting her back against the rugged trunk of the nearby tree.

"No, the first to go insane trying," Venus quipped as Jupiter painfully pulled herself up to her knees. The entire front of her uniform was covered in a cake of mud and grass, and not a spot on her face was showing clean skin. As she swore loudly and slammed her fists onto the soft earth, Sailor Pluto was inclined to agree with Sailor Venus's assessment, though if their lack of progress continued, they would be soon to join her.

It had been difficult to keep track of time since their training had begun; there had been no nightfall, no change in the atmosphere whatsoever to indicate that time was flowing in a mortal sense. Hours had seemingly gone by, but Sailor Pluto's intuition told her that they were beginning to stretch into days. At first, she thought that Lord Kaio had been bluffing when he'd informed them of his previous students needing weeks to capture Bubbles, but given their snail-speed progress, that figure was now looking more believable.

_We must keep trying - if we can't master these skills by the time we're brought back..._

She allowed herself to drop down onto the soft earth beneath a lofty oak tree. Her tall, thin legs and considerable height advantage gave her a high center of gravity, making physical adjustment to the atmosphere almost impossible for her. Instead of allowing her frustration to burst out from beneath her skin, she'd taken an alternate route to strengthening herself in this environment – through mental exercises and meditation. While the Inners slugged onward through the phantom gravity, she'd allowed her mind to soak in every aspect of the atmosphere, using her power to attempt to bend and twist it to her liking. Such exercises had toughened her body somewhat – a break from her training to move about and stretch her legs had proved a significantly easier task than before, though still not easy enough. She was still probably nowhere near ready to attempt capturing Bubbles, and she was not about to make a vain endeavor and make a fool out of herself in front of the others. She would know when she was ready, her mind and powers would tell her.

As they watched Jupiter struggle to her feet and tighten her legs once again - she was the only one out of them who had gotten to the point of being able to keep up a short sprint in these conditions - Sailor Pluto noticed Sailor Mars returning from the illustrious palace of Lord Kaio. She was looking as weary and beat-up as the rest of them, but the crust of bread in one hand and the water container in the other offered the explanation for her absence.

"Any luck?" She asked as she rejoined the group.

Seated nearby and still panting heavily from her latest run at Bubbles, Mercury offered a pessimistic shake of her head, while Venus attempted to smile about it, wiping beads of sweat away from her eyes.

"To her credit, she did come...sort of close," She offered in Jupiter's defense. "The little ape's got a lot of tricks up his sleeve - this might not even be the fastest he can move."

Sailor Mars groaned aloud, chomping the rest of her bread and downing the remaining bit of water in the container. Tossing the implement aside, she tensed herself, setting her eyes on the curious-looking monkey.

"Okay, let me give this a shot!" She power-walked forward, the strain of the gravity still apparent as she moved. Mars had her teeth clenched and her eyes set firmly - perhaps, Pluto imagined, she would have better luck; for all her brashness, Jupiter had not been totally focused on catching the monkey toward the end of her run; she'd been more set on killing him instead.

"I don't know..." Mercury shook her head again, her voice exiting a dried throat as Bubbles ducked under Sailor Mars's legs to avoid a quick grab. "...Do you guys really think this'll do us any good in the long run?"

"Training under these conditions can greatly multiply our speed," Sailor Pluto replied, offering a previously-attained water container to Sailor Mercury, who gladly accepted. "Compared to the alien troops, we were somewhat slower, even against the larger ones."

Mercury gulped down the fluid almost greedily then restrained herself, staring at Pluto with embarrassment. A reassuring smile from the time guardian set Mercury's mind at greater ease.

"I'll agree with you..." She wiped a bit of water away from her lower lip. "...I found that out the hard way."

As they watched, Mars tried to perform a quick one-eighty to snag Bubbles from behind, but the maneuver mixed with the gravity produced an undesired result - Mars swiveled around unsteadily before tumbling onto the ground.

"Well, if anybody asks how we got the power upgrade, we don't have to tell them," Venus remarked. "Because there's no way I'm going to be known as the Sailor Soldier whose strength came from chasing a dim-witted, bugged-up little chimp."

Sailor Pluto concurred - telling Hotaru and ChibiUsa, or even Haruka and Michiru for that matter that she'd gone through such an absurd form of training would stick to her for the rest of her existence. No amount of power was worth the potential embarrassment.

* * *

It had taken only an hour to complete an entire thirty-lap run around the perimeter of Crystal Tokyo Palace; to the weary Sailor Saturn, it had seemed like nearly an eternity. If there had been one constant from her former life in the Old Era and the present day in Crystal Tokyo, it was that she couldn't stomach high-intensity cardiovascular activity of any kind. She'd always wished to conquer that weakness; her smaller body had always refused to cooperate with her. 

Between the war and Gohan's new training regiment, her tenacity was certainly being put to the test. As she stood along the sidelines of the sparring ring, she was still attempting to catch her breath as she gulped down a large amount of water. ChibiMoon had been the first to volunteer in sparring practice with Gohan, giving her a few precious minutes to get herself together.

_Whatever doesn't kill me...makes me stronger...I hope..._

Truth be told, she had performed a bit better than she'd anticipated. On the very first day of training, she'd barely managed to complete the initial twenty laps, but she'd somehow managed ten additional ones only days after. While her legs were nearly rubbery and her lungs were crying for relief, she took pride in the fact that she was improving.

ChibiMoon and Gohan had been throwing punches and kicks for several minutes; the Saiyan was obviously pulling his shots, but even without putting forth an effort, he was still ducking and weaving away from the princess's attacks and throwing back his own with impressive amounts of speed and precision.

Gohan was backtracking along the edge of the circular mat, ChibiMoon fast in pursuit. He put his arms up to block an incoming spin-kick, catching the princess's foot and throwing her backward. ChibiMoon was quick to recover, throwing her weight back and springing back up as her hands hit the floor.

"Not bad," Gohan's eyes were lit with an eager intensity as sweat dripped down his round cheeks. "You sure you're as new at this as you said?"

ChibiMoon stood at the ready.

"I've learned from the best," She replied. "You're the one holding back anyway."

Gohan formed a small glowing ball of energy in his hand, and ChibiMoon suddenly tightened up.

"Suit yourself," He smiled and lobbed the bright yellow orb toward her, the energy illuminating the dim chamber. "Catch!"

ChibiMoon was quick on her feet, dodging to the right as the brilliant sphere burst in the air next to her. She appeared confident momentarily, but when Gohan gathered two more energy balls - one on each hand - her trepidation returned.

Sailor Saturn shook her head as Gohan launched the projectiles in her direction. In a brief panic, the princess fled across the ring, the energy detonating in two minor sizzling motions as they hit the ground. As Sailor ChibiMoon attempted to put some distance between Gohan and herself, the boy extended both arms, proceeding to release a volley of minor energy blasts in her direction.

In a small instant, ChibiMoon's tenuous concentration was shattered as the bright waves of heat closed in on her. One after another they began to explode in small bursts all around her as she feverishly ducked and scrambled away from them, crying out in fright.

"You can't dodge forever; go on the offensive!" Gohan's voice rang in over the small explosions. Finally, in her frantic spree, the princess tripped over one of her feet and tumbled onto the ground, directly in the path of one of Gohan's energy attacks. Saturn gasped in horror - there was no time for a Silence Wall, and she was too far to be pulled to safety before the blast struck.

As the princess threw her arms in front of her in a desperate effort to save herself, Saturn felt Gohan's energies shifting incredibly rapidly, and as she blinked her eyes, the Saiyan had somehow zipped in front of ChibiMoon, thrusting his arm out to deflect the offending energy blast away from the princess in the nick of time.

Saturn breathed heavily in relief, wiping her moist brow. At the very least, he hadn't run the risk of allowing the princess to get hit by the energy orb, though the speed necessary to catch the quick blast had to be phenomenal.

_Remember, he's reckless, not weak._

Gohan was relieved himself, bending down to help Sailor ChibiMoon to her feet.

"You okay?"

ChibiMoon's breathing was quick, and her heart was racing, but she managed a small nod.

"Sorry for the close call, but that's what can happen if you just dodge the blasts. Trust me, it's happened to me before."

"Well, what else is there?" ChibiMoon croaked out with skepticism. "I can't just block those things with my bare arms, I'd be roasted alive!"

"That's exactly what I'm suggesting," Gohan continued, passing a glance toward Sailor Saturn to indicate that he wanted to share the information with her as well. "In a field of those enemy fighters, ki blasts can be coming at you from all directions; all it takes is one little slip, and, well..."

ChibiMoon nodded in agreement; Saturn folded her arms and listened closely.

"And...as you've seen, some ki attacks are too big to dodge; then, you've got no choice but to block with your body, weather the attack."

"You've got to be kidding me..." ChibiMoon was incredulous, backing away. "...I've seen their laser beams cut through solid walls. You're telling me I can defend against fire with just my skin??"

"You've seen me do it, haven't you?" Gohan expressed the comment with cheery optimism.

"Yeah, well...that's you, and you're a bit ahead of us..."

"Hey..." Gohan saw the challenge overwhelming the young girl, though Saturn couldn't fault her. The impact of the alien army's ki techniques had been one of the primary reasons they'd taken such control of the war; the energy had proven immune to defense by any type of material or mechanism within the Crystal Tokyo military.

After pondering a few moments longer, Gohan's eyes lit up.

"Sailor Saturn's Silence Wall...yeah, that's it!"

Gohan sauntered over toward Saturn, who blinked inquisitively at him. What kind of simplistic ingenuity had he devised?

"That Silence Wall...it blocked all of those missiles in the casino, and it deflected back the energy that was inside of them, right?"

"Well, yes...I've been able to neutralize heavier arsenal than--"

"Okay!" Gohan beamed. "Ki defense is kinda difficult to describe...it's sorta like your Silence Wall attack. You use your own ki energy...or your magic powers, or both, in your cases, to defend against an incoming blast. If your defense is good enough, it cancels the attack out."

"But how? None of us knows how to summon up that 'chi' energy, or whatever you call it," ChibiMoon protested. "And second--" She folded her arms in annoyance. "It's not magic."

"Heh, sorry...well...the mag--, err... special energies you guys have might just work for now," Gohan summoned up another ball of energy, this one smaller than his previous attempts. "Princess, I want you to try and use your powers as a shield against this attack. If I'm right, you should be able to deflect it or at least neutralize it."

"And if you're wrong?" Saturn objected, stepping between Gohan and Sailor ChibiMoon. "You saw what nearly happened last time."

"This has barely got the punch of a bee sting," Gohan informed her. "If it doesn't work, it'll just be a tiny prick."

Saturn reluctantly nodded, stepping back and allowing Gohan room to work. Sailor ChibiMoon seemed a bit frightened even at the little yellow marble of energy.

"Ready?" Gohan raised his hand, preparing to launch the tiny missile at the princess. ChibiMoon swallowed hard, crossing her arms in an X in front of her and steeling herself. "Here goes..."

As Sailor Saturn held her breath, Gohan launched the orb from his palm toward the princess. The tiny sphere flew at good speed as Sailor Saturn felt the princess's energies growing, focusing her power onto her outstretched forearms. Within only a few seconds, the attack struck.

A small puff of smoke resulted from the impact, momentarily obscuring the princess from view. As it wafted away from her, Gohan and Saturn smiled at each other with satisfaction - despite ChibiMoon being frozen in position from her fear, not a mark was left on her, her gloved arms perfectly intact.

"Princess?" Saturn said. ChibiMoon still didn't move. "Umm...princess."

The girl's eyes gradually lifted open, her limbs still motionless. As she dropped her arms and felt up and down her entire frame, she finally breathed a sigh of both relief and triumph as she saw that she was undamaged.

"All right! That was too easy!!" She whooped as she pumped one victorious fist into the air. "If that's all it took..."

"Why don't we try a couple of bigger ones?" Gohan formed another pair of ki orbs in his hands, these roughly twice as big as the previous one. "Like I said, that last one was as about as powerful as a bee sting. The ones out there...are a bit tougher."

"Oh...right..." ChibiMoon grumbled. "I knew that..."

"Think fast!" Gohan was quick on the trigger, volleying the ki orbs toward the princess. As Saturn dove out of the ring, the princess was forced to act quickly, readying herself for another defense.

* * *

It wasn't that Haruka didn't trust her junior comrade to carry out the orders given to her - despite the incident in Le Fin, Sailor Saturn performed flawlessly when given direct orders. As she watched the training session from the upper balcony of the Alpha Battalion's training arena, she was simply curious as to how Gohan planned on passing on his alleged skills to the princess and Sailor Saturn. Thus far, she had been intrigued - it seemed that Gohan's energy techniques and their own mystical powers weren't completely unrelated to each other. 

She was pleased with the physical aspects of the exercises; between the princess's lethargic attitude about maintaining her power - she hadn't graced the training areas since her return from Old Era Tokyo - and Hotaru's inherent frailties, such rigorous practice could only benefit their endurance in battle. She supposed she owed Gohan that much, at least.

But she wasn't about to swell the boy's ego by telling him so. Confidence was definitely not something he was lacking.

The past few days had left her without much else to do other than help supervise the squads; Tenshinhan, Krillin, and Yamcha had been coordinating with the battalion commanders to arrange practice sessions for ki warfare, and many of the enemy advances had abruptly halted, presumably after the vicious counterattack within the basements of Le Fin. The enemy had seemed uncertain as to how to respond to the sudden show of force from their opposition. Just as the group had predicted in the early planning sessions, they'd won themselves some breathing room for the time being. At the very least, now the enemy knew there was fight left in the human race, and they wouldn't be taking anymore wild chances like the western garrison ambush.

A mixed blessing, but Haruka would take what she could get. All they could do for the moment was to consolidate their forces here and retain a strong guard.

"You look lonely," A voice from her left said, cutting off her thoughts. Haruka glanced nearby - Tenshinhan had slipped into the upper levels of the barracks unnoticed. He proceeded across the metal floor, leaning on the railing next to her. "Something on your mind?"

"There's always something on my mind," Haruka answered as she continued to observe Gohan and the princess sparring in the ring below them. "Especially in times like this."

"The dutiful soldier," Tenshinhan glanced down at the ring, nodding his head as the princess bounced a ki blast back toward Gohan. "I would hope our efforts are winning your approval as commander..."

Haruka shot him a quick glance.

"...somewhat, at least," Tenshinhan finished.

"Don't take it so personally," Haruka continued, returning her focus to the match. "Trust has been something our group has earned over our history. There's always been a nameless face within our midst throughout our worst crises, always an unknown entity."

"How have these strangers turned out?"

Haruka chose not to reply - most of the encounters with unknown forces, such as her first encounter with Sailor Moon and the Inner Soldiers as well as the introduction of Hotaru as Sailor Saturn, had turned out remarkably well in the very end, but not before difficult turmoil and traveling practically to Death's door.

She peered across the way to the balconies on the other side. A few off-duty guardsmen from Alpha Battalion were passing by, on their way to a routine work-out most likely, and they stopped momentarily after seeing the two of them. While saluting Sailor Uranus, they passed a few indecipherable comments to each other along with some confident nods before continuing on their way.

"If it comforts you," Haruka said as the troopers disappeared into the next room. "Stories about you are beginning to circulate through the ranks. They respect you most out of your entire group."

"Me?" Tenshinhan seemed taken aback by the comment, shaking his head with trepidation. "I mean...I've done nothing that stands out above the others."

"Enough with the false modesty," Haruka snapped. "You're confident, experienced, you have the power to harness the Sun's energy, and you're the voice of the new 'saviors' of this kingdom. Who wouldn't be impressed?"

Tenshinhan tried to force a small bashful laugh.

"Figured it was just the eye," He motioned to the third ocular organ on his bare forehead. Even Haruka felt somewhat uncomfortable as she stared into it; while Tenshinhan seemed to be as human as she was, the eyeball certainly made him appear more alien from every one of his comrades save possibly the doll-like Chaozu and Piccolo, of course. It seemed less like an eye and more like an invading window into her mind. The fact that it didn't pulse or twitch like an eye should have only made it more disturbing.

"It probably helps," Haruka dryly commented. "Where are your associates?"

"Vegeta left early this morning, haven't heard from him since. Chaozu's visiting with some of the refugees...Yamcha and Krillin are with the Beta Battalion commanders. Their first training session got underway about half an hour ago."

"And you're not there?"

"Yamcha insisted. Said he could handle it." Tenshinhan sighed with a bit of concern in his voice. "He probably wanted to teach them his own style, a smash-mouth type of approach."

"Fine by me," Haruka replied, picking at her fingernails. "That's more of my own way. I'm more concerned with planning our next moves against the enemy."

"Which will be?"

Haruka took a breath; Tenshinhan's eagerness was commendable.

"I will speak to the king and Captain Benson soon about this, but I'll share it with you," She began. "The stalemate has given our forces time to pull themselves together...it has sped up the withdrawal of many of our outlying squads back to safer ground here."

"You plan on making a stand here?" Tenshinhan wondered.

"Our losses have been catastrophic, especially before your arrival. Refortifying our position here while we have the chance is more of a priority. The enemy is simply frozen for the moment; they're far from executing a retreat. We consolidate ourselves here, and we'll stand more of a chance of halting an enemy advance."

"That poses a lot of risk..." The tall warrior commented, musing the situation with great effort.

Haruka turned to him, a sudden thought popping into her head.

"Well, you tell me," She declared.

"Tell you?"

"Yes, you seem to have some idea of battle tactics," She shrugged a bit as she saw Tenshinhan's face tighten up with slight apprehension. "What strategy would you suggest?"

"Well..." Tenshinhan faltered a bit, scratching his bald temple in hasty thought. "Let's see...ah...I don't have experience in the military, but I think this might work to explain my thoughts."

Haruka silently nodded, inviting him to continue.

"Years back, I was in the finals of a huge martial arts tournament, against Gohan's father when he was much younger. It was my toughest match yet...and I wound up winning out. Some of it was luck, but the rest was my approach."

Haruka glanced down at the duo in the ring, seeing Gohan on an aggressive offensive as the princess was struggling to block his punches and kicks and retaliate with her own. She nodded a bit – ChibiUsa was at least being more forceful.

"If it is like father, like son, then I would assume he was as unorthodox in his style."

"Very much; Son Goku was tough to predict - one moment you'd have him against the ropes, the next he'd be unloading on you. These aliens are similar - they're dangerous if you give them room to be."

Haruka cocked her head to the side, listening thoughtfully.

"At times, he completely poured it on against me, and I could only get some breathing room by fighting back in the same style; it kept him in check until he started to wear down. But if I hung back in the ring, if I took too much time to recover myself, he'd be right there, back on me like a rabid wolf, and I'd have nowhere to run."

It was an interesting comparison - the Outer Soldier commander had to give some credit to the insight.

"You believe we should still maintain some ground within the city," She concluded. "Despite our lack of manpower."

"If they sense us pulling out of the war zone completely, we'll lose the edge; it'll give them a chance to get their bearings back, and they'll be carrying more of a grudge to boot when they return."

"In any other case, I'd agree," Haruka shook her head, returning her gaze to the match. Sailor Saturn had stepped in to replace the princess, who was seated on the sidelines, frazzled and visibly exhausted. "But our options are limited - this place is still a viable target for them considering our waning troops. We need more physical momentum than simply killing a few hundred of their troops, as bad as that sounds."

"It does..." Tenshinhan begrudgingly agreed. "But I don't understand one thing...you said this invasion is only a few weeks old, right?"

"Yes, why?"

"Well...I remember there being a lot more people on Earth than what you're letting on. Why haven't any other countries come to help you guys out? You are the capital of the world now, right?"

Haruka took a deep breath; it was a logical conclusion, but unfortunately an incorrect one.

"A lot has happened to change this planet since your days." Haruka conceded. "The Cataclysm that changed Earth into its present state took a generous portion of the population with it. I doubt the remaining human race has more than a million members..."

"Mmm..." Tenshinhan solemnly replied. "This city is all there was?"

"Mostly, but we did establish a few more minor provinces beyond this place: New Yokohama to the west, far to the north we were recently settling a rebuilt city of Niigata, even further southwest, construction had begun on a new city of Osaka. In all honesty, we've been too busy fighting for our lives since this kingdom was raised to even bother with expansion."

"Sounds like a new feudal age..." He commented lightly, drawing a small chuckle from Haruka. "No type of military force in those places?"

"That's the catch," Haruka continued. "There is - days after we were first struck, we called for reinforcements from the garrisons placed at New Yokohama and Niigata, but the enemy was prepared for that as well."

"They cut them off before they got here?"

"In a way - from what we've been able to determine, they've erected considerable defensive outposts around the perimeter of the city. We've also lost a great deal of our communications during the fighting, so it's been impossible to contact any reinforcements beyond the borders of the city. For all we know, they were all cut down when they first reached us..."

"For all you know, eh...?" Tenshinhan was running his hands together, nodding slowly. "Maybe we should find out for certain?"

Haruka's glance darted toward him in surprise; she hadn't expected that response.

"Excuse me?"

"You said it yourself - we need more troops to press any kind of counter-attack," Tenshinhan offered, sounding serious but optimistic. "It would be a great surprise to bring in several hundred more men and train them in ki warfare."

"Don't you think we've already tried?" Haruka snapped at his presumptuousness. "In the early days of the war, we attempted raids in several smaller locations to break a way out, but we were repulsed each time. It's not worth the risk!"

"All it might take is little creativity..." Tenshinhan suggested with a confident smile. "...And a little help from some friends. We'll help you find a way through!"

Haruka sighed heavily, stepping away from Tenshinhan in a huff. So that's what it would've come to - once again supplementing their cause with the powers of the mighty Z Warriors. She still detested the very idea - the more that time went on, the more it seemed that they were slowly transitioning this war into the hands of these outsiders...

"Wait," Tenshinhan stopped her movement. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound arrogant - it was only a suggestion."

Haruka turned back, silent but still thoughtful.

"Besides," He stated in a gentler tone. "I wouldn't think of acting on such an idea without the approval and assistance of the commander. I'd rather you come out there with us to help break through their lines, and I think you would relish the chance."

She breathed out, sauntering toward a nearby exit.

"You know, you really are something else," She finally said. "Many of your teammates are brash, reckless, almost uncouth, and yet, here you are, the calm, organized mediator."

"Don't separate them too much from me," The muscular three-eyed man shook his head in relief at the release of her tension. "They are still my friends. What would your other comrades say of you?"

Haruka couldn't help but smile as she thought about the Inner Soldiers. It had been a while since they'd come to mind - so much had happened that she'd barely gotten a moment to pay them their respects - despite their supposed return to life, they'd still deserved to be sent off to the land of the Dead in proper fashion. Now that she thought about them, she realized that she did miss them, missed their youthful charm and sisterly closeness. Much of the more jovial spirit of the palace had departed along with them.

"The opposite," She opened the door, passing one last glance to Tenshinhan. "They're the mediators among us."

* * *

This ludicrous exercise had gone on long enough. 

Sailor Venus peeled herself off of the ground after another unsuccessful attempt at capturing Lord Kaio's pet. Her entire body was throbbing under the strain of the extreme gravitational forces pressing down on it, and it only added more impact when each of them crashed onto the ground.

She sat up, her teeth clenched and her boiling point nearing. To their credit, after several long, excruciating days of this repetitive nonsense, benefits were beginning to show themselves. Venus had realized some time ago that over the course of her own particular chase that she was having increased ease at sitting up on the grassy field, the agility once so familiar to her honed body beginning to return. While Bubbles was still able to deftly dodge their clumsy swipes, they had begun to keep pace with him, their intrepid power-walking evolving into jogging and further growing into full sprinting. She and Jupiter were currently leading the charge, their persistence in their task nearly dogged. Even the wizened Sailor Pluto seemed impressed from her resting place under a nearby tree.

Bubbles was watching as the blonde Inner Soldier leader stumbled up onto her feet; instead of fleeing from his pursuer, he was grunting and hopping from side-to-side. Venus seethed beneath her exterior - was she being mocked by a three-foot chimpanzee, a mere animal...?

"You...are...so...mine!!!" Frustration breaking through, Venus made a desperation lunge at Bubbles as he continued his ill-advised taunting. She flew toward the tiny creature at great speed, and for moment, she could actually see the individual hairs on the ape's body, her gloved arms so close to his pudgy hide that she could practically feel the prickly fibers.

But in one quick instant, it was gone - Venus's hands found nothing but open air and again she crashed onto the hard ground, skidding for several feet and doing a number on her knees in the process.

"Uggh..." Glancing up, Venus growled as she saw that Bubbles had retreated about twenty yards and had cheerfully resumed his taunting. The determined girl pulled herself up again, albeit much slower than before. Her legs were burning from the landing, and she had to take in several deep breaths of air before she could exert herself any more. "All this...just for a freaking...monkey..."

It seemed so unjust that this was to be the fate of Earth's greatest deceased champions - playing tag with an ape wasn't exactly what Venus had in mind for her destiny beyond the living world. If Artemis were there to watch her, he'd be having a ball at her expense...

_Just like that Tridyx did, right? Come on, stop dreaming for a minute..._

It was a difficult request for her body to handle, but it was true - the giant mammoth of a fighter had not only killed them, but he'd thoroughly enjoyed himself in the process, making it look easy...that had seemed to happen a lot during Venus's tenure among the Inner Soldiers. It hadn't been the first time they'd died under her command...

Seeing the faint sneer on Bubbles's face resurrected the memories of Tridyx to Venus and she felt energy returning to her, the dark recollection fueling her aching limbs.

"One more time!" She bolted forward.

"How long has it been now?" Sailor Mars wheezed as she glanced down at a bloody scrape on her elbow. "I think she's going for a record among us."

"An hour and a half," Mercury casually replied as she was still glancing through her visor - she'd been silently studying several figures on the device for the better part of a half hour. "She's close to Jupiter's hour and forty-two minutes."

Jupiter was seated nearby, favoring her sore knees. The skin at the kneecaps had been worn away from repeated crashes against the ground, and they were still in the process of scabbing over.

"Dammit...why in the hell are we even feeling sore if we're dead...?" She complained loudly. "I feel like I've run over fifty marathons with weights on my back..."

"We're still bodily in some form, remember?" Sailor Pluto dutifully explained. "While we certainly can't die again, we'll have to deal with physical infirmities with as much resolve as we did in life. Our minds are too used to registering pain among our bodily organs to adapt so rapidly."

"Well, aren't you the whiz over there," Jupiter grumbled, extending her legs and performing some stretches to loosen her muscles. "How come you seem to know so much about this place, Setsuna? You looked awfully nervous when Lord Enma was saying how many times you've been here."

The older woman laughed lightly for reasons the rest of them could only guess at.

"That, Makoto, is a complicated matter," Pluto leaned back against the tree, closing her eyes. She seemed awfully complacent, almost too much for Mars's liking considering that she'd only taken one initial run at Bubbles before seating herself in front of the tall oak. As far as Mars could tell, she'd done nothing but meditate since then, and while that was good as a relaxation and contemplation exercise, what possible benefit could it serve in this arduous task?

Mars stood up, readying herself for another go at Bubbles as she attempted to recall that particular feeling of calm that came with her meditation. Her old temple sanctuary and her sacred fire pit seemed like such a long way from Lord Kaio's estate. Despite the tranquility of this place, this Heaven, she still couldn't bring herself to feel nearly as comfortable as she was while she was reading the flames. Perhaps, had she not been doing this training for a return to life, a spiritual existence of studying the inner workings of the cosmos would've been her reward.

_It'll have to wait until I die again..._

"Care to join me, Ami?" She offered toward the blue-haired water soldier; at first, Sailor Mercury seemed too absorbed in her study to even notice the question, but she soon deactivated the device, rising up. "What were you looking at?"

"I was just attempting to discern some type of weakness in Bubbles's form," she replied. "Don't get your hopes up - I couldn't even attain a proper reading on his body. I don't even know if the laws of physics and nature completely apply to this place anyway..."

"You'd probably get the same thing if you scanned any of us," Mars remarked as her counterpart deactivated the visor. "We're definitely different now, even if we're still within bodies...'"

"I was actually following up on that more than I was scanning Bubbles after a while," She admitted, reaching up with her arms and craning her back around. "The energy within our current forms is astounding...not like anything I've ever seen before, very potent, perhaps even more than our enemies' power. I feel I may owe you an apology for all those years of spiritual devotion."

Mars lightly jabbed her in the shoulder.

"We can't all be perfect," She teased. "But let's follow that up later; Venus looks like she can use a hand in there."

Mercury concurred, hurrying behind Mars toward their target. She kept good pace with the fire soldier, which was a pleasing sight. Mercury had been the one who'd struggled most in the early hours of the training, needing the most rest periods in between attempts. While Mars had lightly ragged on her to keep the levity in the atmosphere, Mercury never was one to be outdone if she could help it.

The two reached Sailor Venus, who'd once again sprawled herself on the ground in a futile dive at Bubbles. The cheetah-like monkey had seemingly disregarded her completely; he was wandering around and picking at various flowers in the tall grass.

Mars bent down quickly, lifting her up.

"You okay down there, champ?"

Venus groggily lifted her dirt-covered face up with hazy eyes and nearly malicious scowl. Mercury chuckled a bit at her comrade's frustration.

"When I catch him...I...am going...to kick...his...ass..."

"Hang on," Mercury helped Venus up to her feet and motioned for Jupiter to hurry over to them. Having finished her warm-ups, she readily did so. "I think we've been going about this all wrong."

"How else would you suggest we catch that little critter?" Mars wondered as she eyed up the suddenly lethargic monkey.

"I say it's time we devised a little strategy," Sailor Mercury said with a radiant tone. "We've still got our powers, right? Why not use them?"

"Boy, would I love to..." Venus seethed, fire burning beneath her eyelids. "I'd Crescent Beam Shower him straight down to Hell if I could..."

"That's not exactly what I meant..." Mercury replied. "I have an idea..."

* * *

_It's about time._

Vegeta had been shadowing the squad of commandos for nearly two hours before they finally arrived at their destination. The distance could've been traversed in much less time, but the paranoid troopers had consistently doubled back and swept the area with their scouters to ensure their steps had not been traced. Vegeta could admire such prudence, but constantly diving for cover on the ground and masking his battle power just in the nick of time had provided a true test for his short supply of patience.

The aerial brigade had landed at a site of the city that had been almost completely flattened. Many of the buildings that had once prominently stood here had been completely stripped to their foundations save for several hollowed out, battered structures that overlooked the very borders of Crystal Tokyo. On a hunch, Vegeta allowed himself to fall back out of detection range, soaring up above the structures to see that he had indeed reached the edge of the ruined metropolis. The lines of remaining buildings were the only remnants of a human presence before wide highways swept out of the city, stretching across a mountainous, nearly barren plain before disappearing over the hazy horizon. He snuffed, the silent arid plains in stark contrast to the lush planet he and Nappa had landed on all those months back. Whether the desolation was perpetrated by Damos's army remained to be seen, but Vegeta also considered that it was the result of the alleged Cataclysm that had nearly wiped humanity away from the corporeal Universe.

He shrugged – better luck next time.

Not wanting to remain out in the open for too much longer, the Saiyan prince zipped down to Earth, keeping low and scuttling as quickly as possible behind one of the remaining buildings. He didn't remain there for very long – he could sense innumerable battle powers within the edifice along with voices from a few grunts who were casually conversing a few stories above him, their bulky legs dangling over the side where thick panes of glass used to be. All it would've taken was one casual glance, and he'd be facing an entire legion of enemy troops. An invigorating idea, but still too chancy – before he let temptation get the best of him, Vegeta was moving.

Much of the area was open, and as Vegeta rounded the corner of the occupied structure and found himself in the middle of the expansive highway that led out of the city, he risked a quick burst of energy to zip across the road and behind a cache of stacked supply crates. He dove down, ready to power up to defend himself if any alerts were sounded, but as seconds stretched into minutes without movement or mobilization from the enemy sentries, Vegeta let out his breath. He was almost disappointed that they didn't find him – testing himself against such overwhelming odds gave him goose bumps, but his logical end kept informing that the risk was too high. The last fate he wanted to endure was capture or death at the hands of trash.

Finally, he stood up, peering out over the sealed crates and examining his surroundings. As he basked in the enemy fortifications, he found his interest piquing as the seconds ticked by. Several meters past the base of the remaining buildings, the enemies had constructed their own countermeasures against outside opposition – long, deep trenches lined both sides of the highway, each of them filled enemy marksmen and what appeared to be high-powered gun embankments. Tilting his head upward, Vegeta finally caught a glimpse of the sides of the occupied buildings that faced the open countryside – similar to the trenches, gun embankments had been erected on the rooftops, and the floors were crawling with enemy snipers, their gun barrels slightly more elongated and their helmets containing more bulky circuitry than most normal enemy marksmen – likely, it was tracking and aiming equipment. Most of the crystalline windows of the levels had been shattered, which opened up the entire breadth of the building's floors for the gunmen to take advantage of. Depending on their equipment, they'd have perfect shots at any enemies approaching the city from the plains.

Vegeta nodded – the Siege Wall certainly did live up to its name. As the humans of this era didn't possess aerial capacity by any means, he gathered that Damos had ringed the entire border of the city with these check-points, smothering the native Crystal Tokyo people on the inside and excluding them from whatever human forces remained outside.

But the most prominent implements of the enemy defenses were smack in the middle of the road, three of them occupying the space that could fit twice as many normal human ground vehicles. Vegeta cracked a sneer at the thickly armored husks of the behemoth-like tanks, their illuminant treads and headlamps lighting up the roadways in the early hours. The long, tubular barrels were ominously still; they pointed directly out to the distant foggy horizon of the highway, almost daring opposition to reveal themselves.

_Weapons of war...how quaint of you Damos...and how foolish..._ Vegeta shook his head in mock revulsion, quite amused at the use of such outdated machinery from a warlord who commanded an innumerable and undying army. While tanks were quite useful against more conventional weaponry like bombs and bullets, against superior ki-trained warriors such as himself, they were nothing more than gigantic iron coffins. Of all the backwood worlds he'd conquered during his tenure under Frieza's planet-trade empire, Vegeta had particularly reveled in picking apart entire regiments of snail-like tanks without so much as breaking a sweat.

Still, the humans had hardly presented themselves as opponents of Vegeta's caliber – he supposed that the use of lower-grade weaponry was at the very least a show of efficiency (and arrogance, to a lesser degree) by the good warlord.

Vegeta's amusements faltered slightly as he began to see movement among the gunmen in the trenches. Their small battle powers began a steady rise and fall within Vegeta's mind as they commenced firing on some kind of perceived threat out on the open horizon. Needle-thin but slightly concentrated bolts of ki energy burst out of their weapons, sailing off out of Vegeta's sight. Whether or not they found their marks was beyond him for the moment, but as the left-most tank's barrel began a slow and steady adjustment toward the supposed enemy targets, Vegeta began to imagine that it wouldn't matter if they were successful in a few moments.

Suddenly, as Vegeta's ears begun to pick up the whirring of gears and circuitry within the steel beast, something curious also pricked his senses – a rising battle power...from the tank, a mere machine? Almost too interested for his own good, Vegeta allowed his head to remain in open view as a brilliant gold cone of energy materialized on the rim of the tank's barrel. Before Vegeta could even register in his mind that it wasn't dislodging an ordinary artillery shell but pure ki energy, the tank released its charge the sparking bolt of power rocketing toward the killing zone with great speed.

An impressive display resulted, as the massive energy blast erupted on the surface, bulging outward in a dome of blazing, all-consuming fire. It probably would've been forceful enough to nearly level the nearby high-rise buildings if that had been what they were aiming for. A minor chorus of cheers resounded from the troops within the trenches and the occupied structures, reminding Vegeta of his exposure to wandering eyes and forcing back behind cover.

_For once, I retract my commentary..._ Damos had proven to be more of a technological mastermind than Vegeta had given him credit for. While small, ki-powered gunpacks had been around and firmly established within the lower ranks of Frieza's army in his home era, at that point in history, it had been technologically impossible for any type of war machine to generate such large quantities of energy without the circuitry overloading. He knew that fact well – Frieza had been conducting such research and experimentation only months before his ill-fated journey to Namek...

The modification suddenly made Damos's tanks a force to be dealt with, especially to the low-class humans. It also brought back the slight mention of ki-powered missiles that Kakarotto's son had claimed the enemy had used in the casino brawl; he was willing to bet that the artificial gun emplacements ran on similar power. Vegeta hadn't thought it possible, but it seemed that Damos had done what even Vegeta's former master had been unable to do and brought weapons of war back to the point of usefulness. With such massive quantities of ki energy flowing through their circuitry, Vegeta realized that eventually they would have to deal with their power in battle...and their range and accuracy was nothing to balk at, either...

In other words, it was a weapon worth dissecting and analyzing for a weakness now, before it became a problem. If all of the larger weapons ran from similar power sources, he could exploit the same weaknesses from them.

The tanks and the soldiers around them had returned to their resting positions after the alleged sighting of enemy approach, and while their cannons could vaporize lesser forces at range, they still proved futile against a covert assassin. And what every tank needed was a pair of hands behind the controls.

Remaining low to the ground, Vegeta crept along the stacks of provisions, keeping his senses open in case an unwelcome face appeared. He moved on the balls of his feet to avoid making too much noise on the gravel and debris-covered sidewalk, and as he reached the edge of the layered rows of crates, he was roughly fifteen yards away from the right-most tank. Quickly scanning the large metallic surface, he spotted a circular hatch atop the monstrous weapon, likely sealed from the inside to prevent what he was about to attempt.

Just as before, he utilized a quick burst of speed to put himself from the edge of the crates to the back right tread of the tank in an instant. He held his breath just as before, waiting for a nearby scouter to detect his power burst, but the trenches remained oblivious, and the snipers continued their leisurely conversing – he allowed himself a sneer; perhaps he'd missed his calling as an assassin. Vegeta was finding that sneaking through the lion's den was a welcome breath of fresh air from simply strolling in and eradicating everything. After all, any brainless, half-witted ogre (again, some of Frieza's past bodyguards came to mind) could obliterate everything from without with blunt force, but it took a certain greater, more refined skill to infiltrate and dismember a target from within. And while he knew he was far more ingenious and opportunistic than his past charges, proving it against a massive force was entertaining at the very least.

Without wasting precious seconds, Vegeta bounded onto the immobile tread of the sleekly polished machine and scurried over to the protruding hatch. He assumed a prone position, taking a quick glance around – his white body armor helped him blend into the tank's lightly-painted frame, perhaps granting him the necessary extra seconds to complete his clandestine endeavor.

He tugged a bit on the hatch – as he rightly suspected, it was sealed rather tightly – not a problem.

The next part was a risk, and he couldn't deny it – overzealousness now could cost him big. Calming himself, Vegeta formulated a tiny flame of ki on the tip of one gloved finger. Like a blowtorch, he began to cut around the outer edge of the hatchway in an attempt to melt right through the hinges. However, as he drew the ki torch across the surface, he felt a scowl coming over him – the energy hadn't left a scratch on the sleek material!

_Ki-proof armoring...?! Dammit, you've got to be joking!! That's not even--_

Weapons fire from the nearby trenches nearly forced him upright until he realized that the marksmen weren't firing at him – they were again sniping at the horizon, and again, the barrel of the left-most tank was moving, acquiring a target area near the previous one.

The devilish smile returned to Vegeta as another cunning plan crossed his mind. As the tank's barrel began to charge energy, Vegeta raised his own energy level at the same time, keeping in sync with the growing cone. He stepped back and chanced standing low, waiting for the right moment and bracing himself for possible backwash of ki energy from the tank's discharge.

As the fiery bolt was launched from the sleek barrel, Vegeta brought down a pair of energized fists that crushed the metal hatch, the sudden shriek of metal masked by the dispersion of the left-most tank's energy bolt. Quickly surveying his work, he grinned maliciously – he'd succeeded in crushing the hatch inward, dislodging its hinges from the main body of the tank. Before the massive upsurge in ki could vanish completely, Vegeta tore the once-sturdy hatch open and slipped inside the belly of the iron mammoth, dropping down a small shaft and into the cramped, dimly-lit cockpit.

The two grunts manning the tank were rising up, obviously sensing an intruder as the morning light spilled into their vessel, but were still too slow to act. The closest one swung at him as soon as his feet hit the floor; Vegeta deftly ducked the punch and buried his fist into the attacker's gut, hearing the satisfying crunch of bone beneath his light armor.

The second was a bit smarter, reaching for his scouter to undoubtedly alert his comrades. Vegeta ended that particular thought with a swift elbow that nearly shattered the soldier's jaw. A quick twist and snap of his neck put him down onto the deckplates, and his stunned and sputtering comrade immediately followed suit in similar fashion. Vegeta dusted his hands, casually cracking his warm knuckles. No shots fired, not so much a sound aside from the breaking of bones and the pained grunting of his enemies.

He took a quick glance around at the complex webs of circuitry within the armored belly of the tank, but there was nothing apparent as to what made the mechanical behemoth tick...

He suddenly laughed to himself, amazed at his sudden short-sightedness. If it ran on ki power, he could probably sense wherever it was emanating from.

Sure enough, a quick scan with his mind sent him hurrying to the rear, where branches of thickly coated wiring were spidering out from a thickly-armored cubic device imbedded in the very back of the tank. A significant power source was inside the frame, too tempting for Vegeta to resist.

Almost too quickly for caution's sake, he reignited his miniscule ki torch on his finger, melting away the thick screws lining the outer rim of the front panel – thankfully, they weren't made of the same material that had somehow resisted his energy torch on the tank's entry hatch.

Illuminant gold light instantly filled the cramped cockpit as Vegeta removed the panel, so much so that the prince nearly had to shield his eyes to keep from being blinded. Using his gloved hand as a shield, Vegeta managed to gaze in utter amazement at the levitating gold orb inside the chamber.

_A pure ball of ki energy...stabilized and feeding this entire tank with energy..._ This was technology that Frieza would've been salivating over back in their home time period – just as Vegeta could've pumped minute amounts of ki into his energy torch at practically no cost to his battle power, Damos had somehow been able to generate a stable, seemingly self-sustaining ki orb for use as a massive power outlet in his war machines.

One tiny ball...with the prodding of the right technology, it was able to produce energy blasts that these lesser rats could only dream of. And it eliminated added fuel costs that came with even Frieza's ships and energy-needy facilities. It was quite literally the perfect source of power.

As his eyes adjusted to the dazzling light, Vegeta noticed that the metal exterior hadn't been the only layering protecting the ki orb. Within the cubic frame, the energy orb was sealed in a transparent casing with tubes and wiring branching out, connecting to their heavily coated counterparts that fed power into the tank's circuits.

This was too great a find to simply pass up – Vegeta instinctively reached for the glass-like casing, eager to rip the prized treasure from its pedestal. He hesitated only briefly – for the first time, he was dealing with a technology that he didn't particularly understand and that carried potentially harmful consequences if handled incorrectly.

He cautiously reached for the inner casing, and while he expected the surface to be at nearly molten temperatures, his fingers eventually touched the transparent surface, and it was uncharacteristically cool.

Before he could second-guess himself further – and bracing himself for the energy to spiral out of control once it was disturbed – he gripped the case tightly and with a swift twist of his arm, he jerked the ki orb from its resting place, the simultaneous snapping of the tubes and wires filling the tank with a virulent hissing noise.

But nothing catastrophic occurred – no explosions, no alarms, nothing. As Vegeta cradled the cylindrical casing in his arm, the ki orb was pulsing silently, unaware of the disconnection to the machine that once housed it.

However, as he expected, the glowing circuitry within the tank's interior began to fade, the humming machinery slowing to a complete stop. As the interior lights darkened, Vegeta hurried back to the hatch, knowing full well that he couldn't hide his prize from the scouters of the oblivious sentries. Glancing down at the marvelous ki orb, he shook his head in revulsion at what he knew he'd have to do with it – he could make no use of such power on his own, and his only other options was to turn it over to the humans; if they could comprehend the ingenuity of this new resource at their disposal, they'd consider it a gift from the gods. At the moment, it didn't make any sense to leave such advanced technology for just Damos to utilize, and his logic pointed out to him that with the delivery of such a prize, the elites of the Silver Millennium would owe him yet another debt, a status well-worth savoring.

Of course, when this was all over, he'd want to return to their home era with this little gem – if for nothing else than a souvenir, but at the very most, as a treasure that would help light his future...to conquest.

* * *

There wasn't much left of the ragged human convoy that had slipped within their scouters' range. As Aerial Commander and Horde member Jinryx surveyed the smoking crater, only a few badly charred remains of the human forces remained to mourn. He nodded with satisfaction – he was not accustomed to commanding the ground-based forces that by far dominated the garrisons assigned to the Siege Wall of Crystal Tokyo, but he was pleased that the accuracy and cohesiveness of the tank divisions and their special operations support teams were nearly as flawless as his personal aerial squadron, the Seeker-killers. While he was secretly a bit annoyed that they had jumped the gun so quickly – they could've easily vaporized a person of high authority in the enemy government, someone they could've made use of against the remaining humans – at least they'd gotten the job done. 

As the remainder of his squad scoured the remnants of the second crater created by their tanks, Jinryx's icy blue eyes caught a glimpse of the twisted, molten-hot remains of a human sword half-buried in the sand. He reached his black gauntlet down and lifted the chunk of slag from its resting place to confirm his suspicions. He nodded with an equally neutral face as he dropped the mangled weapon back to the grainy soil. Good, they had at least been military targets, as he'd expected. The small body count and small traces of mangled equipment indicated that it had probably been nothing more than a scouting crew that became too overconfident of their stealth or overzealous to gather information of the enemy garrisons.

"Anything useful here?" He pushed his long black hair out of his eyes as he turned toward his lieutenant. Treyos was a thin, nearly gaunt soldier, almost resembling the frail technicians and lab-rats aboard the general's private science ship, the Demonic. But what he lacked in brute strength, he compensated with his computer-like precision in battle. His skills as an aerial sniper and cool-headedness had propelled him to his current esteemed rank.

Treyos clicked off his scouter, his violet scales gleaming in the early morning sun.

"More rabble," He dryly reported. "If there was anything, the ground forces blasted it to atoms."

"Just as well!" A portlier sergeant guffawed from a short distance away, causing both Jinryx and Treyos to frown – for all of his skill in the air squadron, Dren's guttural, spit-laden ranting was what kept him bogged down in the rankings, whether or not the corpulent sergeant realized it. "Less of a mess for us to clean up."

"Could you please take the others to examine the second crater?" Jinryx declared. Dren – ever lost in his blissful boisterous ignorance – was happy to comply, trotting away and ordering a few of the lesser-ranking foot soldiers with him.

The remaining Seeker-killer members plodded around the massive kill-zone for a few more minutes in silence, until finally Treyos deactivated his scouter and turned to his commander, speaking lowly.

"I recently heard of the Forty-Third Squadron's downfall in the massacre recently," He dryly said. "Not a single one of them survived."

"Idle talk doesn't suit you," Jinryx replied, folding his arms.

"Had we been on active duty within that sector," Treyos continued. "We would've been able to respond easily and possibly retake the ground. And half of the squads wouldn't have been shell-shocked into freezing their positions until the causes were determined."

"Your point, lieutenant?" Jinryx's patience was greater than most of his contemporaries, especially his fellow Horde members. The recently-deceased Tridyx and his mentor Parvyx sprang to mind as those who would've responded to Treyos's droning with a ki blast to the throat.

"With respect, sir," Treyos breathed. "All of our placements in recent conquest campaigns, including the operations on this planet, have been away from the heart of combat – lighter air support teams have been given front-line assignments while we normally partake in siege-based work or scavenging. Even now, we are spread thin as the only aerial reconnaissance battalion spread over the entire border of the city. I have found it...irrational, almost unbecoming of General Damos not to utilize his finest aerial brigade to his full advantage."

The words had come quickly, perhaps because Treyos had feared offending his commander with such a disgruntled proclamation. Jinryx, however, simply breathed out slowly. He was expecting such words from his closer officers eventually; what Treyos had said was true, and he knew why.

"I do understand your concern, lieutenant..." He began. "But tell me this – what have many of the front-line squadrons been responsible for?"

Treyos thought for a moment, and then he responded simply.

"Seek-and-destroy primarily. Any targets spotted from their positions are to be instantly incinerated, no questions asked. Others, such as the ill-fated Forty-Third Squadron, are left as general support and back-up to the--"

"Yes, thank you, lieutenant," He cut off Treyos's dictionary-like response; at times, the well-learned second could be too analytical. "These, of course, aren't entirely military targets."

Treyos slowly nodded his head in understanding.

"You are still standing behind your creed of not engaging non-hostiles?" He ventured, drawing a nod from his superior. "It is commendable, sir. I had believed that the general had talked you out of such methods months ago."

Jinryx could remember that decidedly one-sided conversation he'd had with General Damos within the confines of his personal suite. In short form, he'd basically been lectured and yelled at by the general after Jinryx's refusal to execute a group of civilians on one of their previous campaigns. Such actions of benevolence, Damos had said, didn't inspire confidence of the Horde's members among the lower divisions, and if such confidence in Damos and his closest officers as efficient and effective hunters – after all, usual orders from their clients concerning conquest on a planetary scale often came with orders to wipe out all life, not simply the armed contingents – wavered in the slightest, their reputation and subsequently their profits were in danger of taking a hit. Jinryx had sworn up and down to carry himself 'more properly' from that point forward...

But still he hadn't been able to bring himself from assigning his squad to the tasks that would've required assault on the nonmilitary populace of their targeted worlds. After all, wild animals could rent and slaughter a defenseless critter with a quick splash of blood and a brief scream from the victim, and Jinryx's Seeker-killers were above such barbarism and berserker-like behavior; elite hunters sought after elite and worthy targets, or at least enemies that could and were willing to defend themselves. While he gladly performed exceedingly well in the hunting of such armed opponents – so well, in fact, that it was probably the sole reason that Damos had allowed him to remain within the elite ranks of the Horde – shedding the blood of noncombatants, even when absolutely necessary, was uncouth and far beneath what skilled hunters such as his Seeker-killers were capable of.

Hence, defending the captured settlements from what would most likely be military interference from without was far more satisfying and worthy of his forces. Let his barbaric comrades like Tridyx and Parvyx do the more dishonorable deeds that accompanied their trade.

On the heels of Treyos's last statement came another as Jinryx hadn't responded to him.

"Then the refugees that were attempting to escape the city...they were not taken under the general's instruction? You ordered their capture on your own?"

Jinryx nodded simply, prompting Treyos to nod approvingly at the gutsy maneuver.

"We will not soil ourselves with innocent blood," The Seeker-killer commander declared. "Once operations have concluded, they will be turned over to Bortyx; he will decide their fate."

Not that there was any question as to what that particular fate would be, but it would be on Bortyx's hands, not his.

Treyos looked ready to say something else when the scouters of both soldiers resounded with the eruption of an energy signature back near the tank lines. An alert status had been invoked on the surrounding area.

"An intruder!!" Dren barked from nearby; he ordered his entire troupe away from the crater and back toward the city. "More it, you fools, double-time!!"

The battle power displayed on Jinryx's black-tinted scouter brought an excited grin to his face. The numbers were shooting past seventy thousand and still climbing rapidly; that sort of battle power could've only been produced by the seven mystery warriors that had been primarily responsible for the massacre days previous, and from what he could make out over the garbled radio traffic, he was on the retreat, blasting away from the Siege Wall at an impressive speed.

Impressive, but not superior.

"Stay with Dren, lieutenant," He ordered to Treyos.

"You're the only one among us who could counter such energy," Treyos yielded as Jinryx lifted himself into the air. "If you require assistance, I will take the remainder of the squad in for back-up."

"Thank you, but I don't think it will be necessary," Jinryx rocketed away from the rest of his soldiers, pushing himself forward at his normal rate of speed. Within seconds, he was back to the support lines, where he noticed that one of the tanks had been turned nearly inside-out by a massive force; it was split open and smoldering in the middle of the roadway like a dissected corpse, its insides spilled everywhere. The energy taken to tear apart the metal beast had also been sufficient to uproot the nearby tanks, nearly sending them crashing into the buildings on either side of them. The snipers and foot soldiers were still scrambling about, attempting to scour the wreckage and ascertain what had happened, but the gargantuan fighter that had somehow taken them by surprise was not readily apparent – he was still retreating northward, unhindered.

Jinryx pushed more energy into his body, lifting himself above the buildings to avoid potential crash-landings at such high speeds. While the intruder was quick, perhaps quicker than most of his squadmates at top speed, Jinryx's speed was unparalleled among his contemporaries; sure enough, within minutes, he had the culprit in sight; his scouter handily pointed him out as Jinryx closed the gap. That was fortunate – he was garbed in similar attire as he was, except that his body armor was a pearl-white and he donned a jumpsuit beneath it. He could've easily passed for a high-ranking officer had he so wished.

The scouter's viewscreen also reported the expected – this was one of the humans' mystery mercenaries. He chuckled to himself; what a thrill this would be. One-on-one combat with a similarly powerful opponent was a true gift with which he was rarely presented. He'd obviously won all previous encounters, but no matter how close it had been, it sparked exhilaration in him that even he couldn't describe.

He arced left, almost pulling alongside the renegade, and in a last push, he jolted forward and cut sharply to the right, screeching to a dead stop directly in front of his target.

The armored fighter halted just as quickly, a bit surprised that Jinryx had caught up with him. In one crooked arm, he held a power core, obviously retrieved from the disemboweled tank. The iron glare on his narrow face gave no indication that he wished to return it. Jinryx folded his arms, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.

"Greetings..." He simply said.

* * *

"You sure this is going to work?" Mars sounded unusually intrepid, though Sailor Venus could hardly fault her – every other strategy they'd run through to combat the frustrating combination of the extreme gravity and the cheetah-like ape had bombed out up until now. She does suppose that superior numbers would improve their odds, but failure now meant cannon-balling back down in the basement of morale. 

"At this point," Jupiter cracked her knuckles together as she wiped away a fresh drop of blood that was seeping through from a knick above her eyebrow. "I'm willing to do anything to wipe that sneer off that little monkey's face."

Venus was just as ready, stretching her legs and taking a few deep breaths as she eyed up Bubbles, who'd seemingly forgotten about his would-be challengers. He was trotting around carefree, curiously examining the flower patches that dotted the meadow.

"Didn't you say you'd get Pluto to help us out here?" Venus asked Mars.

The raven-haired priestess gave an exasperated shake of her head.

"No good; she told me that she wasn't moving until she was absolutely certain that she would be able to catch him. Until then, all she's doing is sitting there and meditating."

"Meditate?" Jupiter cast a confused glance back toward the time soldier. Sure enough, she was still at her position against the trunk of the thick oak tree, legs crossed and arms slightly extended. Her scarlet eyes were shut, as motionless as the rest of her. "How in the world is that going to help anything?!"

"Well, we could be going about this all wrong…" Venus wondered aloud as she eyed the enigmatic Sailor Pluto. "What do you think, Rei – can just meditating and that other sort of mental mumbo-jumbo give us strength faster than the direct approach? Because if it can, I'll gladly take a snooze and wake up with a goddess's power…"

Mars nearly scowled in her direction.

"It's not as simple as that! I can't feel much of a mantra within her…" Mars studied the statue-like Sailor Pluto with a bit of reticence. "I don't know what she's thinking, but unless she knows something I don't, mental exercises won't do the trick to overcome this…"

"Don't tell me…" Venus leaned over and elbowed Sailor Mars lightly in her arm. "You tried it already?"

Sailor Mars growled back at her, prompting Venus to chuckle a bit.

"Let's just get this over with…" She snapped, stepping away from the rest of the group. Within a small copse of trees a short distance away from Bubbles, Sailor Mercury was waiting somewhere within the maze of oak trunks for the signal – once Mars lit up the sky with her Fire Soul attack to get the monkey's attention, Mercury would come in with Shabon Spray, effectively rendering the field a foggy maze. Venus smirked as Sailor Mars brought her gloved fingers to a point and formed a tiny fireball at the tips. With any luck, the diversionary tactics would disorient Bubbles long enough for at least one of them to make the winning grab.

But, as Sailor Venus awaited the execution of their plan, something was amiss as Sailor Mars summoned up her usual ball of fire for the Fire Soul attack. Normally, she would be able to sprout a healthy-sized fireball in a matter of seconds, but Venus was surprised to see a considerable amount of strain on the face of Sailor Mars, and the tiny fireball she had summoned dissipated as she let out a gasp of air. She nearly dropped her stance, panting heavily.

Jupiter and Venus hurried over to her.

"It's alright..." Mars shook her head. "It's just this gravity, makes it more difficult to keep my fireballs together..."

Venus frowned – yet another weight added to the crushing pile on their backs. At first, she hadn't imagined that the phantom force enveloping the planet would inhibit their innate powers. In the back of her mind, thinking back to how Lord Kaio had claimed to have studied up on everything about them, she wondered if this was by design.

If the plump cosmic huckster was still around, she was certain that he'd be readily pointing out with a wicked grin whether or not she was correct. He thankfully had excluded himself as much as possible from their current training, only setting out from the grounds of his majestic palace to offer them food every so often, usually after a particularly rigorous capture effort. Whatever he was doing within the halls of his estate, Venus was still certain that he was keeping track of their progress somehow. At least, she hoped he was – it would be all the more satisfying when they finally caught his obnoxious pet.

"Okay...I think I've got it this time..." Mars had steeled herself, tensing her arms and legs as she conjured up another fireball at the tips of her fingers, She had better luck with this one, stretching it to its usual size. "Hope Mercury's prepared for this..."

Jupiter and Venus readied themselves – once Sailor Mercury carried out her part of the plan, they would have to act quickly before Bubbles's had recovered his wits. Sailor Venus allowed a cocky grin to cross her face – if nothing else, they could still at least outsmart the chubby little ape.

Mars released the Fire Soul attack, the flaming comet arcing upward directly above Bubbles's head before Sailor Mars mentally commanded it to disperse. She instantly fell out of her attack stance as the air around them suddenly grew moist and chilly. Venus braced herself to move – Sailor Mercury had released a Shabon Spray attack as Bubbles's beady eyes quickly darted around. The area was almost instantly coated in a curtain-like fog; they couldn't see Bubbles very well, but he had to know he'd been caught in a trap and was likely bewildered at this new methodology from his opponents. There would never be a better time to capture him.

"Where, Mars?" Venus demanded beneath her breath. "Where is he?"

"Straight ahead," She could sense his spirit, or so she'd told Venus and Jupiter before this attempt. Mars had been proud of how effectively she could analyze their current 'dead' forms as well as those of their hosts since their arrival in the after-world. She'd been communicating with such forces in the living world with enough ease; being in the very source of those celestial powers had added an entire dimension to her mind powers. With her eyes tightly closed, she seemed to be studying the ape's movements beyond the thick veil of mist. "He'd looking in all directions. He can't sense us…I'm sure of it!"

All three Sailor Soldiers seized the chance and bolted forward through the dense chill of the fog toward what they thought be potential pay-dirt.

But as they continued pitching forward, they realized grimly that they'd already passed whatever location Bubbles had been standing in only moments previous. As Venus's heels crunched on the flowers he'd been sniffing, the realization was confirmed. She swore to herself – where had the crafty ape disappeared to this time?

"Mars, where is he??" Jupiter snapped, her eyes darting in all directions in a vain search for their target. "Dammit…we were so close…!!"

Sailor Mars had resumed her blind stance, her forefingers outstretched and searching through the thick mist like a radar sensor.

"He panicked…ran off…" She absently murmured. "He's close…the energy is hazy through the fog…"

Venus realized that they were drifting away from each other during their harried search – she could barely see Mars and Venus's forms through the mist, and she hardly possessed the innate sense for spiritual energy that Sailor Mars had...

Suddenly, a movement from up ahead caught her gaze. A small form had just slipped away through the veiled screen of mist. Venus cracked her knuckles, crouching low and proceeding forward. What was the old expression, 'hide in plain view?' At least, she thought it was. Somehow, Bubbles had evaded Mars's senses and had concealed himself close by, hoping they'd stumble right past them.

As if she'd be outsmarted by a mere animal.

Sailor Venus proceeded cautiously along, keeping herself from crunching down on any twigs or flowers and breathing lowly to avoid attracting attention from the panicky monkey.

Minutes passed as she edged ever closer to the shadowy form nearby – it kept just out of her view, its size and shape masked by Mercury's Shabon Spray attack. She didn't hear Jupiter or Mars anymore, nor did she hear their movements through the field, but she didn't have time to return for them – calling for them might blow her cover, and besides, she couldn't imagine how infuriated they would be once she emerged from the mist as the first to capture the skittering Bubbles. She'd never let them live it down.

Suddenly, as tense, silent seconds passed, a loud crashing noise from the nearby northwest sent the vague apparition scurrying forward, out of her view.

_Dammit!! No, you don't!!_ The others must've spotted him first and bungled the capture attempt – she wouldn't be so clumsy!

She dashed forward at full sprint through the fog, desperate to salvage the failed attempt by her comrades. If she was lucky, he'd be retreating toward her in his frenzy, waltzing practically right into her arms.

The cloudy shape appeared in her vision again, a squat, frozen form directly in her path; she grinned devilishly to herself – this was it, he was hers! Venus dove forward arms outstretched toward the dumpy form, certain victory only inches away…

…only to find her eager hands meeting the upper back of Sailor Jupiter; Venus's momentum propelled her face-first into her comrade's shoulder blades. Both girls shrieked, pitching forward and crashing in a heap on top of two other crumpled forms.

The misty world suddenly began to fade, the clouds dissipating into the spring air as the temperature rose to its normal state once more. As the sky above her spun, Venus realized that the Shabon Spray had dispersed more quickly than normal. Perhaps it had been the same detriment to Sailor Mars's Fire soul attack, the gravity interference…

…or perhaps it was because all three of them were piled on top of Sailor Mercury, nearly crushing her into soil.

As Venus rolled off of the pile and a fresh wave of pain rushed to her skull, the scenario became so clear to her: the loud crashing had been Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury – the two on the bottom of the pile-up – 'finding' each other, each presuming the other to be Bubbles. Jupiter had checked on them at the worst possible time; hence the two of them being on top.

As the bright pink sky continued to spin all around her, an all-too-familiar form stood over her, blinking its tiny black eyes in confusion at her predicament. Her senses jumbled in the crash, Venus barely had the wits to register Bubbles as he began poking at her forehead with her chubby finger. That brought her back to coherent thought more rapidly; she swatted at the offending appendage with a guttural roar emerging from her throat. Bubbles naturally turned tail and bolted before she could make a grab for him, sprinting at an even faster pace to the distant horizon.

Sailor Venus pulled herself to her feet, fuming as she eyed the lucky monkey with a deathgaze – this wasn't over yet.

* * *

Within the expansive gymnasium on the main ground of Beta Squadron's training barracks, Yamcha was beginning to lose what tenuous amount of patience he did have with the struggling human commanders. He squatted down, running his hands through his dark spiked hair as another of the battalion's officers ignited a ki sphere that promptly exploded in his hand, and were it not for his uniform, he would've likely contracted moderate burns. Elsewhere, as Krillin volleyed a few tiny ki orbs in the direction of several other ready soldiers, they still proved too timid for the exercise, a few of them diving to the side while the rest - at least eager to attempt mastery of ki defense - completely misread the angle of the incoming projectiles, and the minute rays stung them in the knees or grazed their arms as they attempted to block them. 

While Yamcha understood their inexperience and aversion to this particular style of fighting, this was becoming overly tedious. This shouldn't have been so complicated - he and Krillin had been clear in explaining the physics behind the ki manipulation; brash and foolish as most thought Yamcha to be, it hadn't taken him this long to grasp even the basics when he was a novice.

After several minutes more of similar disappointments, Yamcha finally reached his limit. With a loud whistle that resonated throughout the chamber, he called the attention of the dozen practicing officers on the floor. They dragged themselves over, most of themselves looking bewildered and ragged from the latest experience.

"Alright, I think that's enough for today," Yamcha tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice but found that he wasn't successful, and his students seemed to realize it, a few looking indignant and others lowering their eyes in frustration. "We'll try another crack at this tomorrow - start fresh."

He and Krillin dismissed the officers with a few more words of optimism, but Yamcha's miniature friend was far more enthusiastic than he was.

"Better progress than the last few days put together," Krillin nodded his head hopefully. "I'd say a week or so more and they should be ready to pass this on to their men."

"Aren't you Mr. Optimism," Yamcha stretched his stiff neck, massaging a particularly tight tendon in his right shoulder. "It's amazing these guys are military men - I figured that after thousands of years, we'd have come up with something, anything better than playing with swords..."

Krillin rolled his eyes, not so much in frustration but in grudging agreement.

"These guys have been raised in fighting differently than we have," He said. "Put them in an organized tactical line or in a team effort, and they might teach us a thing or two."

"Yeah, line them up and the aliens'll knock 'em down like a shooting gallery," While Yamcha certainly didn't profess being a grand master in terms of the Kamesennin style of martial arts, he thought his expertise would provide the hapless Crystal Tokyo fighters with more of an edge than what they were getting. After all, Gohan was performing swimmingly with Saturn and ChibiMoon, and they were kids for crying out loud...

Krillin was glancing up at him with concern, obviously disturbed by the sudden burst of negativity from the normally robust brawler. Yamcha attempted to cast the doom-and-gloom aura away.

"Hey, I said we'd whip these boys into shape, and we will! It's just not as smooth a ride as I was hoping for at first, okay?"

Krillin seemed more disturbed by the snap out of his friend.

"I didn't say we wouldn't! It's just...maybe we should ask for some help. Ten and Chaozu aren't doing anything, you know..."

"You saying we can't do this alone?" Yamcha bit once again.

"I'm saying we shouldn't have to!" Krillin was on the defensive and clearly uncomfortable in being so, especially with someone his considered a close friend. "Ten's got a lot of experience; we could speed up the process--"

Yamcha snuffed again, rolling his eyes.

"You wanna start kissing his ass, too, huh?" He snorted. "Geez, Piccolo gives him a couple kind words and suddenly he's the whole show around here..."

"Hey, wait a minute..." Krillin's discomfort suddenly grew into near-hostility over the stinging remarks. "You know I didn't mean that! He's hardly got a big head about all this, and you know it!"

In his mind, Yamcha acknowledged that as such, which was one reason he was so agitated. Of course Tenshinhan wasn't arrogant or boastful about his current standing as acting leader of the group - he probably couldn't even fathom the concept of 'ego.' No matter what, he always maintained that perfect balance between cocky and confident, allowing just enough pride to appear as a flawless fighter, a purposeful master of his trade.

Such had been the manner in which Crystal Tokyo's military had begun to treat him over the past days, much to Yamcha's increasing annoyance. Captain Benson had delivered personal update reports for the Z Warriors straight to him, the guards had begun to offer him respected salutes whenever they passed by - hell, after his well-timed Solar Flare in the enemy ambush against the western garrisons, he'd even been looked upon as a warrior of the Sun by some of the superstitious civilians, which was definitely stretching things in Yamcha's mind. He almost wished that Tenshinhan would develop a slight ego after obtaining his vaunted status so as to have an excuse for his rage, but no such doing - Ten was still acting as the humble mediator, the voice of reason...

"Don't tell me that you of all people are jealous," Krillin's levity had returned upon seeing Yamcha's scornful gaze. He gave his friend a hardy slap on the back. "Relax, these guys here take you seriously enough. We're still considered the superhuman freaks here, remember? They'll come around."

Yamcha snorted again, Krillin's laughter not elevating his mood - the bald monk's words were truthful, but whereas Tenshinhan was considered a righteous savior, a godsend in the most extreme sense, Yamcha had easily sensed the lack of similar repute from his recent trainees, most of which were far ahead in years compared to him. In fact, he could probably attest such ill sentiment as a reason for their lack of progress - they viewed him as a child, a mutant thug that saw their fight for survival as nothing but a gigantic melee, a wondrous and never-ending free-for-all. While the thought of cracking so many skulls had been quite an appealing bonus for coming to Crystal Tokyo – he had defended Earth in the past before and died once doing so. To graciously take on that burden again and not even get a sliver of respect or gratitude because of youth and a more robust demeanor...

No sooner had Yamcha finished ruminating than the object of his frustration appeared at the entrance to the gym. Tenshinhan passed Krillin and Yamcha some friendly waves as he approached. As Yamcha seethed internally at the various salutes being passed toward Tenshinhan by the departing commanders, Krillin nudged him forward.

"Hey, forget about it today; I'm up for some food!"

Yamcha took a breath and buried his negativity for the time being. He gave Tenshinhan a reprisal wave as he got closer, suddenly feeling a bit guilty for blustering so sharply in front of Krillin. He wondered if Tenshinhan's acute hearing had caught any of their conspicuous shouting. From the broad smile on the muscular fighter's face, Yamcha doubted it.

"Any luck with the Beta Squadron commanders?" He wondered.

Krillin gave a shaky, semi-confident shrug.

"It's a work in progress...we're starting to manage though! They've gotten formation of ki energy down, it's just a matter of controlling it and defending against enemy ki blasts..."

"Glad to hear it," Tenshinhan nodded proudly. "Gohan, the princess, and Sailor Saturn were about to demonstrate some of their newfound skills to the king in the Alpha Battalion's barracks. I'm kinda curious to see how they've been doing. Care to join me?"

Both Kamesennin students readily agreed; Yamcha himself was curious as to how much progress had been made with Gohan's rigorous training methods - stolen off of his past regiments with Piccolo, no doubt. He'd been there the first day when he'd driven both Sailor Soldiers to the point of exhaustion, but according to all accounts, they were fast learners and were making noticeable progress in a matter of days.

The stinging guilt swept away from him as Tenshinhan offered to lead the way. He supposed that he should've been grateful that at least one of their numbers had bonded with their allies so quickly over the past days - even if Yamcha couldn't share personal glory, it did increase their chances of coexisting with the Crystal Tokyo military until the conflict was over.

But his remorse didn't alter his goal - Tenshinhan's godlike-status or not, by the time this was over, he would garner the respect he deserved.

* * *

"She looks quite nervous," Captain Benson quietly said to the king as Endymion observed his daughter's warm-up exercises. "Hasn't she shown off any of her improved techniques to you since she began her training? She usually can't wait to show you a new piece of jewelry two seconds after she gets it." 

Endymion shook his head almost casually toward Benson, the formalities faltering between them - he considered the captain more of a confidant than a military commander, though he'd performed more than his share of duties within the Special Forces since its inception after the wars with the Black Moon. As a soldier, Royce Benson had always found his way into the company of the royal family during his duties, and during that time, he'd become almost as much a friend to Endymion and Serenity as the Sailor Soldiers.

"I've asked her to keep the demonstrations for special occasions; I'd rather that she develop on her own than with me holding her hand and correcting her."

"Her mother wouldn't approve of that strategy," He jokingly said as Endymion noticed a partial contingent of the Z Warriors entering the gymnasium from the far side. All of them, in fact, except of course for Vegeta, who'd been left to his own devices over recent days. That had caused some concern among the commanders, especially Sailor Uranus in particular, but Endymion's logic had been to simply point the Saiyan's belligerent energies in the direction of the alien troops and their alleged leader, who had seemingly earned a special place within the Vegeta's cross-hairs.

He turned back to the captain.

"Can we still afford to keep them here as teachers for the moment?"

Benson's expression grew darker.

"Not for much longer, I'm afraid. The enemy had resumed strikes at our outlying squads as they're falling back to the palace. I think that shock from the Le Fin attack has finally worn off and they'll be hitting us hard again on a regular basis."

Endymion nodded grimly, the news not surprising but disheartening nonetheless. The overhauling of their Special Forces and the resuscitation of the Sailor Soldiers promised significant results, but they were still very much works-in-progress, and they would continue until the Piccolo and Neptune returned with the Dragonballs to revive the Inner Soldiers and Sailor Pluto.

"And there's still no consensus of the battalion commanders on which course of action would be wisest to follow?" Endymion inquired. He'd of course been present for deliberations between his higher commanders when Tenshinhan and his top remaining Sailor Soldier commander had introduced their particular strategies for the upcoming stages of the war. Even he had to admit that the three-eyed sentinel's plan for striking at the suffocating barrier around the city was dubious at best – no amount of Special Forces would be able to supplement such a massive strike without severe casualties, but the same could be said if Sailor Uranus's suggestion of continual withdrawal from the city. If the enemy forces caught wind of a total retreat, they could easily surge up and cut off fleeing units and gain further ground on the palace. Benson's pessimistic gaze told the king his response, and Endymion felt his neck tightening – they wouldn't be able to wait for promised reinforcements from the afterlife for much longer.

"We'll discuss this later; it looks like they're ready," Endymion motioned for the captain to join him alongside the circular ring. The Z Warriors paid both of them greeting as they stepped closer.

"I've got to congratulate all of you. The reports I've heard regarding your methods are remarkable, to say the least," The king said to his allies, though he maintained a bit of a serious demeanor.

Tenshinhan seemed to notice the solemnity, his cool smile hardening into concern almost instantly.

"What's the problem?"

Endymion nearly chuckled - just like Piccolo, nothing escaped his watchful eyes.

"We'll all talk later..." Endymion noticed Benson excusing himself, hurrying over to the western edge of the gymnasium in the direction of a few uniformed Special Forces soldiers. "...For now, accept my gratitude for your efforts."

Usagi passed her father an excited expression as passed closer - the supervision of the army hadn't left Endymion with a lot of time to visit his daughter in between her training sessions, but as he observed her, he did notice that Gohan's regiment had produced noticeable results. She stood a bit straighter, moved a bit quicker, and she appeared less delicate and more hardened than before. If they survived this war, he decided that he would insist that she keep up such rigorous practice, if nothing else than to keep her healthy and active.

Spotting a familiar figure near the ring, Endymion stepped away from the crowd and sauntered over to her.

"You know, you can inter-mingle with the rest of them; you have my official permission if that's what you're looking for," He smiled at Haruka, who returned an indifferent expression and no words. "You haven't exactly been very out in the open since Michiru left and Hotaru's gone with Gohan. It might not be a bad idea."

"Nothing personal, Your Majesty, but you make a better king than a psychologist," She joked slightly, eyeing Sailor Saturn on the sidelines. Much like Usagi, the Soldier of Death was noticeably hardened and boasting a more confident demeanor as she observed Gohan and the princess readying themselves in the ring.

"You seem proud of your daughter, at least," Endymion noted as Haruka smirked. "Who knows, she might be able to stand up to you hand-to-hand in a fight sooner or later with all the work she's doing while you're on the sidelines doing paperwork…"

"You're not going to change my mind about this," She said obstinately as she folded her arms. "I'm just here for moral support at the moment. I'll earn more strength in my own way--"

"Without the guidance of a Saiyan child, right?" Endymion intuitively remarked with an amused smile. Haruka's lips tightened as she looked away. "Oh, I suppose I can understand how you feel about him – he's naïve, reckless, headstrong, overly zealous in the pursuit of justice, quite unreliable, I'm sure...Didn't you once consider Serenity in a similar patronizing manner, in the Old Era?"

Haruka simply shook her head.

"She at the very least wasn't part of a barbaric race like the Saiyans when I first met her."

"But she did prove herself to you in the end," Endymion pointed out. "You're still not willing to admit that despite all of this – Gohan's deferment to our regulations, the enlightenment of our Special Forces to the enemy's fighting style, and the combined work of all the Z Warriors among the soldiers and civilians – that Gohan might be on our side?"

"No, sir."

Endymion turned away, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

"You're a very stubborn woman, Haruka."

"Yes, sir." She smirked back toward him.

* * *

"All right..." Gohan stretched his arms above his head, and then he bounced up and down on the balls of his feet as he prepared for his first opponent of the day. Sailor Saturn was beaming toward him at the other side of the ring, the Silence Glaive hanging loosely in her hands as she sized up her mentor. From the childish twinkling in Gohan's eyes that emerged whenever they entered into the sparring portion of the training, she was beginning to believe that he was more excited with the prospect of fighting an opponent than teaching and critiquing their progress. 

Of course, Gohan was still holding back the lion's share of his power for the sake of encouraging such progress while still providing a formidable adversary that was comparable to the enemy soldiers they would face on the real battlefield. While she'd taken her share of bumps, bruises, and other minor injuries during the now days-long program, she's noticed that both her advancement along with Sailor ChibiMoon's had forced Gohan to crank up his reserves as well, and during previous bouts, she'd been able to begin maneuvering through his lightning-fast barrages and deflect his tougher energy attacks with greater quickness and without loss of much power on her end. Perhaps that had been another reason for the boy's teeming elation – now he had the chance to utilize more energy in the sparring without risk of harming his students or deterring their development.

She took in a heavy breath, spinning the glaive almost effortlessly above her head to the delight of the onlookers. It had never been a challenge to wield the weapon, but its metal frame now felt even more lightweight and maneuverable in her hands than ever before.

Gohan took up a fighting stance, smirking and beckoning her with a slight wag of his fingers. She was more than happy to oblige, rushing forward with the glaive pointed down and away – she'd learned not to rely on its length too easily when dealing with her teacher.

"I can still see you!" Gohan appeared to taunt her, but she knew it wasn't the case; he was observing her lack of sufficient speed, which they had drilled almost vociferously a few days before.

Saturn responded by energizing the area around her as she moved, using her innate power as well as minute energized ki to shift her form. She felt the still-peculiar twinging of her nerves, especially in her legs and arms as she felt herself sailing forward at an inhuman speed. While Gohan should've still been caught frozen in his defensive stance as she suddenly loomed over him, he was still quicker, vanishing in the same instant as she arrived with an upward swing of her glaive.

"Don't peek!" She heard a faint echo of his thoughts as she momentarily paused. Taking the cue, she felt the area around her with her senses, seeking what should've been a sudden upsurge in ki energy.

_There!_

She felt him lurching above the ring, and she was quick to bound up after him, the mixed ki energy and her Sailor Soldier power carrying her far off the ground.

This time, her glaive was ensnared as she tried a slash at Gohan's waist. The Saiyan hybrid's small but sturdy hands had grasped the high end of the glaive's shaft, the sharpened tip of the blade centimeters away from his exposed arms.

"Not bad…" He remarked, noticing that Saturn had clandestinely taken one hand off of the glaive. She thrust it toward Gohan, and she actually produced a decent sized ki orb that he barely managed to dodge. The energy ball singed the boy's thick shaggy hair before spiraling toward the rear wall, detonating just before impact. She received a few slight rounds of applause from the onlookers. In reality, formation of ki balls was somewhat easier than she'd anticipated – it wasn't as if she was unaccustomed to forming spherical energy projectiles already.

Gohan seized the opportunity, driving a knee into Sailor Saturn's sternum that sent her off-balance. Days before, that may've spelled the end, but she was quick to jerk back her glaive and use it to parry Gohan's sudden flurry of offense. Punches and kicks hit cold, impenetrable steel as the pair floated downward, exchanging blows and occasional balls of energy.

As the furious duel continued, Saturn heard Gohan's voice again.

"Still working out your frustrations from last time?" The tone was surprisingly jovial. They hadn't discussed Saturn's heated exchange with Gohan after the casino fight; why he would bring it up at such an inopportune time baffled her.

"You made a mistake!" She swung almost wildly, nearly decapitating at him without realizing it. Gohan managed a backflip that carried him away from her range. "Wouldn't you react that way if any of your friends were needlessly put in danger?"

She pushed herself forward again, wanting to maintain her persistence. Gohan launched a few preemptive ki blasts to halt her progress; Sailor Saturn dodged the first two and deflected the third away. A quick spin-kick grazed Gohan yet again, and as her momentum carried her body in a half-turn, Gohan snared her in a headlock and jammed his fist into the small of her back.

"I've been there before…" He quickly said almost directly into her ear. "…and I'm sorry about what happened in Le Fin."

After a few more shots into her kidneys, Saturn threw her weight forward, and the smaller fighter was pitched over her head. She bolted after him as he tumbled through the air as if he were weightless. She slammed him in his stomach with the butt of her glaive, and before he could recover, she generated a Silence Glaive Surprise attack. Gohan righted himself as the dark orb rocketed toward him, and he managed a ki defense as the attack erupted against him. He burst forth from the dispersed energy, looking a bit frazzled but carrying an approving smirk.

"Apology accepted," Sailor Saturn breathed out. "Tell me, Gohan, is that why you offered to train us? As penance for your mistake?"

"Partially," He admitted as he prepared himself again. Both combatants darted forward for another exchange of blows that again ended in a stalemate. "Besides, it's my way of helping out from my place on the sidelines."

"You mean, your way of protecting us?" She corrected him as she launched another Silence Glaive Surprise attack that Gohan was able to zip out of the way of. Saturn tracked his movement, crossing paths several yards away and dealing another series of attempted blows toward Gohan. "As per your creed?"

"Maybe," A quick unexpected kick dislodged the glaive from Saturn's grasp, and the two grappled arms in a slight power struggle. "Is there something wrong with watching out for friends?"

"If necessary, I can protect the princess just as well, even if it means the highest cost," She pushed forward, her taller frame giving her a slight advantage. "That's one of my primary purposes as a Sailor Soldier."

Gohan faltered slightly in his stance, and Saturn relented as she watched the confusion swirl on his face.

"To die?" He asked. "That's one of your primary purposes? That's what they told you to do?"

Both fighters had stopped pushing, as Saturn wasn't sure how to come back against the remark. She'd always known it to be that simple at its basic level, but nobody had really put it to her in that manner.

"As I said…if necessary; when I was reborn as Sailor Saturn and was taken in by Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama, and Setsuna-mama, our mission was to safeguard the future princess, Serenity; now that she is queen, the Inners look after her while we protect the future of the kingdom, ChibiUsa," She told him. "But were I die in her service, it would be for someone I think of as a dear friend, not just a member of royalty. It would be as if I was doing it for Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama. Wouldn't you do the same for your friends, your family?"

"Well, yeah…but for you, it's different," He replied uneasily. "You just act as if it's a certainty; you're just waiting for the right moment when your life ends, just like that."

Saturn was bewildered by the assessment.

"I…I don't…"

"It's already happened a few times, or at least it could've," Gohan continued. "Mission or not, I mean, your family probably doesn't want you to make that type of sacrifice either. Wouldn't they all miss you if you were gone, even if you died saving ChibiUsa?"

Sailor Saturn found herself in a stunned silence; his sentiment echoed those that the Inner Soldiers and Serenity herself had held for the Outer Soldiers all along. But it was strange hearing it from an outsider, particularly one she hadn't known for very long.

But…it was a nice kind of strange.

"Bravo, bravo!!" Endymion was calling to them from the ground, and Saturn realized that she and Gohan had been simply floating there, arms still entangled for nearly a full minute, motionless. The group on the ground was applauding as well, evidently assuming they were done with their small exhibition. She quickly detached from him in embarrassment – she didn't want more ammunition for ChibiUsa to use against her later. "A very brilliant display! Both of you have performed splendidly!"

"We'd better get down," She suggested as she tried her best to pleasantly soak in the applause from the Z Warriors as well as Captain Benson and the king. She was also pleased to spot Haruka-papa a short distance from the ring, nodding with tremendous regard at her surrogate daughter. Saturn nearly found herself blushing; she normally didn't have this kind of positive reaction from this many people. "I'm sure the king is eager to see the princess in action as well."

Before Gohan could respond, she descended.

* * *

Chaozu opened the door to their suite, his tiny body demanding rest after a busy day. While he hadn't been out warring against the aliens, he had been mingling among the civilians of Crystal Tokyo, who'd been slightly improving in their spirits over the past days. While the official stories about their origins were still sketchy among the ragged survivors of the war, most only cared that they were able to take such a vicious fight to the monsters attempting to exterminate the human race. 

As for Chaozu, he'd provided some much needed moral support to the huddled masses, especially to the human children, the ones most affected by the recent pillaging of their world. He'd showed off his telekinetic powers to a few audiences, given information to some of the more inquisitive families about the past era of Earth; he hated to say it, but at the moment he was acting as the group's cheerleader among their new allies. It wasn't a comfortable feeling, but with Tenshinhan, Yamcha, and Krillin overseeing the training of the soldiers and Gohan off with the two Sailor Soldiers, he decided that his resources were better used elsewhere, and it would keep him from becoming overly bored.

Nevertheless, entertaining and informing for hours at a time had left him a bit drained. It also hadn't helped that he still needed to dodge around the question of the Sailor Soldiers who hadn't been seen since the attack of the three alien commanders. Apparently, such a long absence from the refugees was unusual for them - some paranoid citizens had even guessed at the grim fates that Endymion had been so desperate not to reveal to the tenuously emotional survivors. Chaozu hadn't let anything slip, but it was evident that the despite the presence of capable reinforcements, the people demanded the return of their champions to their midst. He wasn't sure how much longer they could keep their deaths a secret.

Removing his black knit cap, he strolled across the plush carpeting to the nearest sofa, levitating himself up and dropping softly onto the feather cushioning. He immersed himself in the plush furniture, his eyes slowly drifting out of focus...

...until a small whispering noise caught his attention. Chaozu sat upright, glancing around in bewilderment. He could've sworn he'd heard a light voice murmuring nearby.

"Taking a breather?" Krillin's sudden voice startled him; he'd entered the suite while Chaozu had nodded off. He chuckled to himself - perhaps he was beginning to absorb some of Sailor Uranus's paranoia. "I'm with you - being an instructor's a lot tougher than I thought."

Krillin strolled across the room, disappearing through the white door in the corner and into the bathroom.

Chaozu let out a deep breath and settled back down, yawning audibly as he closed his eyes again. But before he completely fell asleep, the voice came back again, joined this time by another. Chaozu couldn't make out any words, but he was positive that something or somebody nearby was whispering.

He sat up again, staring around the ornate room; nobody else had come in, and this time, the noise couldn't have been from Krillin.

After a brief few seconds more, he caught something moving out of the corner of his eye, from beneath one of the beds. Chaozu tracked the scampering form, no higher than his waistline, across the room; he wasn't certain what it was until it passed in front of the bathroom door.

At that same instant, Krillin was strolling out leisurely, wiping his face with a towel and clearly not seeing the sudden intruder. Chaozu saw the monk stumble slightly as he passed into the suite, losing his balance and tumbling to the ground; at the same time, their ears were jarred by a shrill screech that came from the eavesdropper.

"Hey, that hurt!! Why don't you watch where you're walking!" A high-pitched voice complained. Chaozu froze – that certainly wasn't Krillin's voice; it was as light and airy as ChibiUsa's.

The bewildered monk's eyes shot over to whatever had tripped him up, astonishment prevalent on his round face. Chaozu hurried over; the tiny figure had dove under a stray pillow after Krillin had inadvertently trampled on it.

After spotting a pair of angered eyes glowering at them beneath the silk pillowcase, Chaozu found himself equally astonished as the feisty spy poked her head out from under the cushion: their 'guest' was a grey-furred kitten bearing a brilliant gold crescent moon on her forehead. And she was bearing a small but sharp set of teeth in their direction.

"Honestly, how could such tough guys like you be so clumsy?! Do you know how much my tail's going to sting for the next few days?!" She spat as Chaozu and Krillin exchanged muted glances. Being roughly ten centuries into the future, certainly they should've expected what they might've perceived as abnormalities in the general lifestyle of the future culture, but talking animals had never entered into Chaozu's consideration as something that was commonplace in Crystal Tokyo, let alone one with an attitude.

"It's…a housecat?" Krillin managed, standing up. That provoked the kitten even further – it hissed loudly at him, and Krillin recoiled.

"'Housecat?'" She snapped. "You nearly crush me to death, and all you can say is 'IT'S' a common housecat?! How rude! Didn't they teach you manners back in your time? I may be a cat, but I'm still part of royalty – the princess is my best friend, thus making me much more than just an ordinary 'housecat!'"

Chaozu blinked. With such a hot temper, he wasn't surprised that she was close with the princess; he almost felt compelled to prepare to defend himself with the way she was carrying on. Poor Krillin looked ready to fall apart where he stood – he never was good with dealing with tongue-lashings, at least according to Gohan.

"Diana!" Another voice, this one also belonging to a woman, chided the kitten from a short distance behind the two. Chaozu and Krillin whirled around, spotting a full-grown cat neatly sitting close by. While sporting the same golden crescent moon on her brow as her smaller counterpart, her fur was a shiny hue of black, and red eyes gleaming with intelligence gazed out at them. The surprises kept growing for the Chaozu; how had they gotten into their suite? "I would think that we've taught you those same manners. Had you not been eavesdropping on them, perhaps your tail wouldn't have gotten stepped on."

Her voice was soothing, almost motherly, but Chaozu still eyed her with wariness – he began to wonder if this was some type of evolutionary trait among animals at this point on Earth, or perhaps they'd been able to talk all along and simply hadn't revealed it until recently. Either way, he couldn't help but observe the two cats with wonder.

While the kitten was defiantly silent, simply snuffing at the black cat's warning, the latter nimbly hopped onto the nearby bed, smiling at Chaozu and Krillin.

"I must apologize for the behavior of my daughter; she usually takes a liking to strangers and since your arrival, she's been quite interested in all of you."

Chaozu attempted to allay his awkward silence – she was being civil, and the least he could do was to not stare at her as if she were an alien. While she looked like a cat, Chaozu could sense an intelligent and benevolent spirit within her – she was definitely more 'human' than animal.

"Well, you know what they say about curiosity and cats…" He chuckled. "But who are you? And…why were you spying on us?"

"As I said, my daughter's overt curiosity is difficult to contain, especially with anything related to the Old Era," She replied. "As for myself, my name is Luna; I've acted as a guardian and advisor for the royalty of the Silver Millennium since the Old Era; and it's a pleasure, despite circumstances--" She passed an admonishing glance to the smaller kitten, who huffed indignantly again. "--it's a pleasure to finally meet you face-to-face."

Chaozu responded to the cordial greeting in kind, though Krillin was still stammering slightly when it came his turn. Exasperated, Diana bounded up from the ground, perching herself directly atop the monk's bald dome and passing an irritated expression toward him.

"Relax, it's not like we're going to bite you or anything," She said casually to him as Krillin winced uncomfortably. "You're in the presence of royalty, you know; you could at least be respectful."

"Sorry…" Krillin muttered as Chaozu fought to contain a small amount of laughter. "Um, could you please get down? Your claws are digging into my scalp…"

Luna directed Diana with a firm glance; the kitten rolled her eyes but leapt down, trotting over to her mother.

"And it was so comfortable up there," She whined. "Though I'd probably be freezing once the wind picked up…"

Chaozu couldn't help but burst out at that one, leaving Krillin grumbling and nearly glowering at him.

"Fine, I can take a hint…" He picked up his towel and marched toward the door. "I'm going for some food; I'll catch up with you guys later."

"Can I follow him?" Diana asked. "I still didn't get an apology from him for stepping on me."

Luna relented, more glad to get her out of her hair than anything. Diana briskly jogged toward the open door and disappeared through it, in pursuit of the grumpy Krillin.

She returned her gaze to Chaozu, studying him carefully.

"I've heard of you before now, of your work with the people," She laid down on the comforter, adjusting her back legs into a comfortable position. "I thank you for it; it hasn't been easy since the deaths of the others…"

Chaozu lifted himself into the air, levitating at eye level with Luna.

"You knew about that?"

"They didn't have to tell us," She said with a tone of deflation and sorrow easily apparent in her voice. "We felt them die, each of them. Few were closer to Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus as I was, and Sailor Pluto was also close to the princess…"

Chaozu felt his hand almost automatically reaching for her when he stopped, retracting it in discomfiture; he'd been going to pet her, as he would a normal domestic animal that looked as dispirited as Luna at the moment. She seemed to notice the misstep, shaking it off with a gratified smile.

"Well, they'll be coming back, as soon as Piccolo and Neptune get back here with the Dragonballs."

"So I've heard…" She smiled. "I must also thank you for that, both as an advisor to the Court and on a personal level…but I still find it hard to believe that these 'Dragonballs' can do half as much as all of you claim. I don't call any of liars, but…"

"Understandable," Chaozu replied. "I'd be in the same position if I hadn't been brought back to life by the Dragonballs myself."

"You?" Luna stared at him with astonishment. "Sorry…we've heard the legend of your group; it's difficult to remember that you are as mortal as the rest of us."

Chaozu pondered that note, considering something.

"I can tell you more about us, if you'd like." He offered. "There's still a lot we don't know about this place…or about Earth's past, this Cataclysm, the Sailor Soldiers…we'd all be curious to know."

Luna yawned a bit, looking somewhat drowsy.

"I'm afraid I'm not much of a storyteller these days," She admitted. "Besides, I would think you'd be off to catch up with your friend before Diana torments him too badly."

"Krillin's a bit…inept sometimes, but he calms down eventually…" He laughed. "But I'd rather just relax right now, and a good story is just the way to do it for me; if you're up for it, I'd really like to hear about all of you. I can tell you more about the Dragonballs and the rest of us if you'd prefer."

Luna's spirit seemed rekindled at his interest, and she sat up a bit straighter, clearing her throat.

"If you insist," She began in earnest. "Our people actually go back beyond the Old Era, back to when our civilization existed on Earth's moon…"

As Luna's melodic voice divulged a tome's worth of details, Chaozu felt his body relaxing, his ears perking at attention as the great story unfolded.

* * *

Sailor Jupiter came limping painfully back toward the group, more tattered and worn out than ever. Lord Kaio had observed her progress with keen awareness as she'd gone through yet another round of chasing his pet monkey Bubbles around the fields. Despite her failure, he greeted the thunder soldier with a stout smile as she approached, dejection having replaced frustration hours ago. 

"Dammit…" She panted. "So close…I could smell him…"

He offered her a water bottle as she passed by, which she didn't hesitate to snatch from him. She uncorked the lid and proceeded to down the entire container in nearly one gulp. Excess fluid dribbled down her chin and onto the grass, but she hardly cared. It rejuvenated her slightly; she stood up again, stretching out her stiff legs.

"Extraordinary!" He applauded her. "Your resolve touches me deeply; that, too, is a weapon to be feared!"

"But it doesn't get me any closer to that monkey…" She gasped. "He's too fast…"

"Ah, but have you noticed something now?" He pointed her toward Bubbles, who was now resting against the trunk of a tree. Jupiter squinted through the sun's glare to see that the little critter seemed equally exhausted, drawing in large gulps of air to replenish himself. "You've all got him scurrying like a madman! It won't be long!"

"How comforting…" Sailor Mars, in similar shape as her comrade, stumbled forward, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Weeks instead of months? Days instead of weeks?"

"Now, now; you said you'd keep your sense of humor throughout this excursion!" He chided her. "How can you expect to move as quickly as your enemy if you can't even keep up with a harmless monkey like Bubbles? You won't make it very far, I guarantee that!"

Mars nodded silently as she turned back toward Mercury and Venus, who'd taken to playing another game of virtual chess with Mercury's computer device in a small break from the action. Both had sustained their injuries and made their strides – Lord Kaio couldn't fault them too much for taking a short breather from the competition. But if it stretched too long, he'd be forced to give them a swift kick in the complacency to get them up and moving. They were closer than they believed – all they needed was a bit more time and a small burst of motivation…

"Then perhaps I'll give that motivation to them…" A soft voice said to him, taking Lord Kaio off-guard. He whirled around, spotting the ubiquitous Sailor Pluto sauntering toward him, fresh and without the bruises and lesions obtained by her comrades. Lord Kaio snuffed at her.

"Hey, no fair peeking," He scolded the woman. "You owe me a penny for that thought."

"I'll give you my two cents after I finish this test of yours," She said as she took the forefront of the group. The other four gazed at her with awe – she had been practically comatose against the tree for days, stopping her meditations only briefly to rest her weary mind. Lord Kaio had taken note of the approach to strengthen the body – it was peculiar, but original and perhaps just as effective and arduous as the physical rigors put forth by Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus.

"But how?" Venus stood up, the chess game forgotten as she watched Sailor Pluto walk almost leisurely toward where the monkey was resting. "You only took one shot and you sat down for days…what makes you think…?"

Sailor Pluto calmly turned to her agitated friend and smiled confidently.

"I promise you, Minako, that my methodology required just as much silent concentration and devotion as yours; and believe me, hearing you cursing so loudly at Bubbles in recent days made my task far more challenging."

Venus fell back, shrugging her shoulders in disbelief as Sailor Pluto started forth and braced herself for a run at Bubbles, who had recovered enough to take notice of this new challenger and prepare himself.

"How?" Jupiter demanded. "How is she moving so gracefully after hibernating under the tree for so long? What does she know that I don't, dammit!"

Lord Kaio laughed aloud at the exasperation of the quartet; Mars noticed it, turning toward him.

"Do you know something we don't, master?"

"Come now, priestess of fire, I would think you'd catch on to her strategy before any of us!" He bellowed in a jovial tone. "She is a mistress of time itself, is she not? Couldn't you feel her disrupting the space around her with her power?"

"I suppose you could?" Jupiter snorted.

"Why, of course! A clever strategy used by one of my former students as well," He explained. "I could feel it from within my palace walls, the air rippling ever so slightly, almost like an unnoticeable breeze. That was her mind hard at work, stretching the gravity forces this way and that way – attempting to exude mental energy from every limb and digit!"

"Her mind was doing the work for her?" Venus gaped in disbelief.

"Essentially, and with her time-flexing muscles hard to work, she could do with her spirit what could be done with flesh and bone. It's not an easy process, but you know what they say – a healthy mind and a healthy body go hand in hand…"

He actually hadn't seen such mental focus since Piccolo's tenure under him all those years ago – the Namek had been nearly a statue as he'd sat cross-legged on his lawn, eyes sealed shut and emanating his power and emotion in thick waves, using them to twist and mold the molecules in the air to his likeness. Sailor Pluto's link to the very nature of Time gave her an even further edge – while she certainly couldn't significantly alter time's flow within her thoughts, he'd sensed her disrupting the immediate space around her, essentially slowing or speeding up time of the air particles around her to further augment the benefits of her meditation process – he supposed it would've been quite handy to slow time to the point where several hours worth of honing and preparation could be crammed into mere minutes in real-time…

"Look!!" Mercury cried. All of them gaped toward Sailor Pluto…only to find that she'd vanished from her spot on the open grass; they could still track Bubbles, who was fleeing at incredible speed across the meadow, so fast that the Sailor Soldiers had trouble keeping track of him.

"Where is she…?" No sooner had the befuddled Sailor Mars uttered those words than Sailor Pluto seemingly magically appeared in front of the frenzied monkey, who instantly scampered in the opposite direction, yelping and screeching all the way. The Inner Soldiers stared at the scene awestruck.

"How…" Venus began to stutter as the exchange continued between Pluto and Bubbles. The former disappeared from the spot she'd previously occupied and rematerialized to cut off the monkey again.

"…in…"

He bolted left, and Sailor Pluto actually stopped, watching as he skittered twenty yards away in a matter of a few seconds before racing after him again in the same instantaneous motion.

"…the…"

This time, she made a lunge for Bubbles, who simply charged around her to avoid the grab. He picked up the pace, zipping away at a speed that the four other onlookers strained to follow. However, Sailor Pluto seemed prepared, darting after him and matching his speed; seconds later, she closed the gap, and before Bubbles could react, he was jerked backward as Sailor Pluto snared his tail – had he not been dead, she may've torn his skeleton from his skin at that speed.

"…hell…???"

Sailor Pluto calmly took the monkey by the scruff of his neck and rejoined the group at a slow, leisurely pace, dropping the monkey off a short distance away from them. Lord Kaio beamed proudly at her, clapping his hands and guffawing loudly as the remaining four Sailor Soldiers stared with muted astonishment at the victorious Guardian of Time.

"Absolutely marvelous, Ms. Meioh!" Lord Kaio applauded her proudly. "Such fluidity and grace in your movements – you're a credit to your prestigious order!"

After a polite, reserved statement of appreciation from Sailor Pluto, Lord Kaio noticed the lack of movement from his other students, who seemingly couldn't believe what their eyes had shown them.

"Oh, don't be too discouraged, my friends!" He cackled. "Time is still on your side! Keep up the pace!"

His spirits rekindled, he hurried back to his estate, eager to plan the next phase of the training. If Sailor Pluto had mastered advanced speed, the others would follow shortly. He wanted to be ready to progress his new protégés immediately when the time came.

* * *

Sailor Pluto hadn't expected the catch to be so quick, but she'd known after finishing her latest bout of meditation and mental training that she was ready to tackle the speed test that Lord Kaio had presented. Much of what he said regarding the mental exercises was true, which provided for a more revered attitude for her toward the unique master – he certainly knew more about them than he was letting on. 

She decided to continue her mental training, if to improve on her abilities a bit more while the others completed the test.

But as she passed through the Inners, she noticed their muted disbelief on what they'd just seen, and she could understand why as she observed their tattered uniforms, their bruised skin, and their scabbing cuts and gashes. They looked like they'd been through another war already, and here she was, clean and unspoiled. The thought had to mire them deeper into the abyss of hopelessness.

"My friends…" She began, shying away from their dispirited gazes. "Your work is not in vain…despite our differing styles…you are close."

Mercury, the least shaken out of the quartet, finally replied.

"You don't need to make us feel better, Setsuna," She told her. "We'll find our own way to--"

"That speed that I'm moving at…" She smiled, remembering those minor occasions when she lifted one eye open to observe them, to watch as they grew in their power and endurance. It had been slow and steady, but all it took was some revitalization and motivation to push them over the edge. "…You may not realize it when you watch each other, but it is nearly equal with my own."

The four didn't seem to believe that; Jupiter cracked a smirk while shaking her head in exhaustion.

"I promise," She reassured them. "And I don't break promises."

* * *

As Sailor Pluto walked away from them to resume her meditation beneath the firm oak tree, Jupiter turned incredulously to the others, speaking timidly after a brief silence. 

"I don't…feel that much faster…do I?" She wondered.

"It is difficult to conceive of moving at such high rates of speed…" Mercury concurred. "But perhaps we have glorified it too much with our enemies, put it too high on the pedestal in terms of accomplishments."

"If a brutish Neanderthal like Tridyx could do it…" Mars reminded all of them. "We can't fall behind like that, at least I refuse to! Not to him!"

They all nodded toward each other, glancing back at Bubbles. He'd taken to wandering the fields again, no worse for wear since Pluto's harried capture of him. Jupiter bore her teeth in a malicious grin, feeling her lost strength and resolve returning to her. At the very least, Setsuna had shown that it could be done! The monkey wasn't some transparent illusion that could always evade their grasp. And if he was wearing down…

She rushed the field again, feeling particularly motivated.


	16. Passing the Test

Author's Note: I sense a pattern developing here…again, sorry for the late update; college hasn't given me much of a chance to get back at this, so what can you do? Anyway, I think I have a solution: due to a seemingly general consensus from the reading base, I'm going to try and cut back on the chapter sizes from this point forward. This'll keep the updates coming more frequently, hopefully. Also, the change of the rating from K+ to T was more or less me adjusting to the new rating system. Content level's pretty much staying where it is, so don't fret.

Chapter 16: Passing the Test

Sailor Neptune hadn't graced the great outdoors of Crystal Tokyo in some time, not necessarily because of the war but because of the mundane yet time-consuming businesses of royalty that kept her contained within the borders of the city.

Even so, as she stared out the domed window of her Capsule house over the rolling hills of the valley, she realized that very few places of natural growth and life remained on her planet Earth – the Cataclysm had impacted every ecosystem on their world, leaving much of the landscape surrounding Crystal Tokyo a desolate, arid plain. And while the familiar natural settings like parks and gardens had been duplicated in abundance within the city to compensate, it had never felt the same as it had been in the Old Era. Here, with Piccolo, she'd been able to escape the racket of civilization and she now felt comfortable with the murmured quiet of the natural world; in her era, hardly anything thrived in the rugged plains outside Crystal Tokyo. The quiet there was of a different sort – it reflected the absence of life instead.

What more, the fields would abruptly end in a matter of two miles, grass and weeds giving way to sloping sand dunes that dove headlong into the ocean. Most normal humans wouldn't hear the breaking of the waves from such an expansive distance, but Sailor Neptune had long since established a bond with the sea, and she could feel the continuous thrumming of waves crashing against the shoreline, and if she concentrated hard enough, she could hear the pounding of the surf; it would have been enough to relax her to sleep.

Once this was over with, she reminded herself to ask Setsuna to send her and Haruka back here for a few vacation days. She was certain that her beloved would be just as enamored as she was with it.

For the moment however, there was work to be done – they'd set up camp there only a few hours before, with the bulky Dragon Radar telling them that the third Dragonball was close by, perhaps in the vicinity of the beach.

But instead of retrieving it immediately, Piccolo had invited her out to a small mount about a quarter mile in the opposite direction. Why the sentinel would choose some other unnamed activity rather than seeking out their prizes baffled her beyond belief – he had, after all, been the one to suggest that they split up to retrieve the first two Dragonballs, something that Neptune had accomplished with a little help from her Capsule box.

He had been exigent enough for her to comply, but his stubborn refusal to explain the detour had nearly been a slap in the face as far as she was concerned – who was he to treat her like an idiot savant, to keep her in the dark about anything? She would've imagined that winning the Dragonball race back to Capsule Corporation would've been enough to convince him of her abilities, but this was the stone-faced Piccolo after all...

Neptune stepped away from the window, trudging across the plush interior of the Capsule house toward the door. It had been a pleasant surprise for her when she'd first activated the tiny pill with a large amount of trepidation of its effectiveness. But after recovering from her initial shock of a modernized two-story house appearing out of a large screen of smoke, she'd grown to like the accommodations inside – a king-sized bed with a feather mattress, a shower with hot water, enough food to feed all of the Sailor Soldiers for several weeks...it had been better treatment than what had been available at the palace during the war. She was almost sorry to leave it behind, albeit temporarily.

Shutting down the power and locking the door behind her, Sailor Neptune proceeded across the nighttime meadow, sidestepping a few snakes in the taller grass en route to her meeting point with Piccolo. It wasn't long after she'd departed the Capsule house that she could feel her mentor's energy, which struck her as odd – it was elevated considering what she'd been accustomed to from Piccolo.

After fifteen minutes of navigating through the grass, she trudged up a small hill, stepping gingerly across some large stones before arriving at the top of a sizeable mound. Sure enough, the warrior was waiting for her, his back turned toward her and his pearl-white cloak standing out against the dark landscape.

"You're late," He simply said, not turning around.

Neptune snuffed. She hadn't made a sound on her ascent; he'd likely been following her energy all the way from the Capsule house.

"You know, some of the time, I wonder about how much you're spying on me," She chuckled at him as she noticed his apprehension. "As fast as you are, it wouldn't surprise me to find you outside my shower one of these nights."

"Excuse me...!" His tranquil aura was ravaged in an instant as he whirled.

"Why not?" Neptune folded her arms. "You've already surprised me and Haruka in bed before – your track record speaks for itself."

Instead of becoming flustered as he usually did, Piccolo seemed to catch himself, a smile crossing his face and his eyes lightening. He chuckled lowly, and Neptune realized that his energy level was raising steadily, a thin aura coating him.

"It must be nice, all the comforts of home fitting right into your pocket..." He said. "Tell me, have you enjoyed your accommodations?"

Neptune narrowed her eyes uneasily – it wasn't like Piccolo to be this deviously cryptic. She gotten used to his singular blunt honesty by this point.

"Well, yes, I have," She admitted. "What's wrong, teacher? Are you still fuming about Bulma's attitude toward you back in the city?"

"I'm glad to hear that," He ignored the question, stepping past her and eyeing the distant Capsule house from the edge of the mount. Before Neptune could wonder about the Namek's peculiar behavior any further, a sudden burst of energy rocketed out of Piccolo's mouth, skating across the tall grass and detonating right against the side of the metal structure. Neptune gasped in horror as the sturdy frame of the Capsule house caved in on impact, the entire building collapsing in a burning smoldering mess of metal.

She shot an insidious glare toward the Namek – the rest of the capsules that Bulma had given to her had been in the house as well; he must've known that. He'd simply called her away from her dwelling so he could burn it to the ground. And now she was left with nothing, not a bed to sleep in or a scrap of food to eat.

"...Is this your attempt at a sick practical joke?" She rumbled toward Piccolo and the Namek nonchalantly turned away from the smoking debris. He paid her no immediate response, which only angered her further. She stomped toward him; with a quick movement, she snared one of his armored cloak's broad shoulder protectors and spun him back around. "Answer me, what were you thinking! Is this your revenge for all of those arguments you lost!"

Piccolo still appeared indifferent, pushing her hand away.

"I was thinking that I didn't want you growing too soft during our voyage," He replied. "You've already gotten complacent enough living in lavishness for so long – it's the first step to toughening you up for the battles ahead."

Neptune shook her head, breaking into a dry laugh.

"I might have guessed – you still think I don't have what it takes to hold my own," She turned away, fuming as she crossed the mount. "What gives you such arrogance to assume you understand everything there is to know about combat?"

"I could ask you the same question," He replied. "You amaze me, you future humans; as high as you place yourself, you don't understand simple logic when it is staring right at you. You claim I have nothing to offer you; then how is it that I was able to best that weakling Tridyx single-handedly while all of you threw your best at him and failed?"

"Excuse me...?"

"I think you heard me well enough," Piccolo continued. "He was so inexperienced and brash that I could've butchered him with a blindfold on. Had you even been remotely familiar with their combat styles, perhaps you could've gotten lucky and beaten him."

Sailor Neptune poised herself sturdily – cynicism and verbal jabbing was one thing, but she'd seen her friends, her family being slaughtered during that vicious fight; nobody, least of all Piccolo, had any right to trample on their sacrifice.

"_We_ have survived as a team and as a family for much longer than you've even been alive," She defiantly snapped toward him. "Were it not for us, this planet wouldn't have survived into the thirtieth century!"

"How surprising," Piccolo stepped toward her, not backing down in the slightest. "What kind of two-bit trash were you battling during your time? If they couldn't match up to a low-level grunt like Tridyx, then I suppose Earth could've lasted with a group of frail brats as its vanguards."

"You ignorant, murderous...! How dare you...You have no idea what we've been through!"

"And you have no idea what you're about to go through!" He suddenly roared. "If you think the same feebleness you showcased against Tridyx can last against the elite of Damos's army or against an entire column of soldiers, then you, brat, are the ignorant one! Earth will be nothing but dust and ash if we continue following your lead!"

"And what makes you think you're the one to lead us!" Neptune found herself inches away from Piccolo's solid chest, his thick frame towering over her. "You think that every challenge has to be conquered your way, by your rules! There's nothing more arrogant than that! I expect that of the Saiyan prince, but not from you! But then, maybe I should; you are after all, just as alien and freakish as our opponents!"

"Then show me!" Piccolo suddenly energized himself, a burst of power enveloping his body so quickly that Neptune was nearly thrown off her feet. "If you believe yourself to be superior and worthy of following your foolish course, the least you can do is prove it to me!"

Neptune paused briefly, remembering Piccolo's gargantuan strength that he'd unleashed full force on Tridyx. But she knew that she was healthier now, better prepared than she was when they'd joined the Inner Soldiers against the alien behemoth in ragged shape. She would hardly waver against even Piccolo, especially after the heated words.

"Very well, 'teacher,'" She scowled, readying herself and drawing out her Aqua Mirror. "You'll regret this challenge!"

She bolted right for him, forcing her power forward and swinging heavily with her free hand. Piccolo blocked easily with a thick scaly arm. Neptune almost instantly felt her limb stinging from the impact – spongy and flexible as his body appeared, it was still as hard as concrete.

She clenched her teeth, willing her way through the pain as Piccolo retaliated with a fast hook of his own. Neptune tore away as a solid fist flew past her face. The Namek followed up quickly, launching a small combination of punches that she managed to parry and dodge.

"Quick..." He threw a sudden kick forward as she was off-balance. The heel of his foot caught Neptune almost flush on the jaw, and she flew backward, banging her back hard against the edge of the mount. "But still too slow. When I was first training Gohan, when he was practically an infant, he was faster."

"Submarine...Reflection!" She commanded the mirror to act, and it readily obeyed, unleashing a deluge of enchanted water toward the warrior. He apparently sensed the danger coming, bounding upward to avoid the sweeping attack. Neptune was quickly up and moving, charging a Deep Submerge attack as he was still sailing upward. "Who's slow now!"

The aquamarine orb sailed off of the tips of her fingers moments later, arcing toward Piccolo at such a speed that she was certain it would find its mark.

But as impact seemed imminent, Piccolo suddenly vanished from her sight, and the Deep Submerge attack kept sailing up into the atmosphere. Neptune froze; how had he--

She was suddenly seized from behind by a pair of powerful arms, clamping onto her wrists like vices. The pressure was so great that she dropped her Aqua Mirror, the artifact tumbling into the nearby weeds. As she attempted to fight off her opponent, she felt Piccolo jamming his knee into her spine, stretching her arms back toward him at the same time. She screamed out as her sockets began to throb and strain against the pressure.

"I could snap them off with a small burst of power," Piccolo's razor voice was in her ear, low and menacing enough to convince her that he would do it, that he would tear her arms right off of her body.

But he relented, thrusting her forward and hammering his elbow into the small of her back. Neptune pitched forward, her face skating across the dirt and grass before she came to a stop. She forced herself to her knees, her arms still aching and her spine sending a jolting pain through her limbs as she moved.

"You see! Injured and fatigued already!" Piccolo stepped toward her, yanking her up by her neck and tossing her over toward the far side of the mount like a rag doll. The momentum carried her over the edge, her waist and legs dangling precariously as she attempted to force herself back up with her injured arms. A quick glance down revealed a steeper slope than the side she'd traversed on her way up – a fall wouldn't have been too grievous, but it had potential to cause injury if her bare limbs were pierced by the thick, jagged rocks below.

Before she could pull her weight onto the mount once more, she saw Piccolo standing right over her, his face still like iron. Neither smugness nor anger was apparent in his visage as he stared down at her.

"I can think of twenty different ways to kill you right now off the top of my head," He informed her. "And I'm not very creatively inclined."

He bent down, snorting at her as she struggled to keep from slipping off.

"Why am I even wasting my time? If you're this pathetic, I doubt that Lord Kaio will be able to do much with any of your friends. If they're anything like you, I wouldn't be surprised if they called it quits already – he is a trainer of warriors, not toddlers. And that renders our little excursion for the Dragonballs quite pointless. I certainly wouldn't want to waste a perfectly good wish to revive such trash."

"You..." Finding momentum within, Neptune launched herself upward, crashing into Piccolo's chin on her way up. She soared back onto the mount as the Namek crumpled to the ground. Maneuvering her energies, she somersaulted back into the center of the mount, snatching up her lost Aqua Mirror and whirling to face Piccolo again. "Nobody degrades me or my family like that! Now, get up!"

Piccolo obliged, springing to his feet and smirking toward Sailor Neptune as he wiped a bit of dirt from his face.

"Excellent!" He chortled. "That's more like it!"

Neptune launched forward again, punching and kicking at Piccolo and trying her hardest not to allow him any recovery time or counterattack opportunities. He parried and weaved away from some of her blows, but the fierceness of the flurry had caught him off-balance. She drove him back toward the edge of the cliff before Piccolo finally snared both of her fists in a quick movement. He pushed down on her with all of his weight, his upper body strength causing her to nearly buckle under the pressure.

"If I were Damos, I would commend you before burning you down right here," He snapped at her, his confidence restored after Neptune's sudden offensive. "Yield, brat; or I might do the same."

"I...will...not!" She forced herself upward again, pushing back with a strength she didn't even know she possessed. She made little headway, but she was able to maintain her position. "I'll never yield, not to you, or to Damos, or to anybody!"

As the words exited her mouth, Piccolo was being forced upright, and before she knew it, she'd gotten back to her feet. Words echoed through her mind, Piccolo's words, continuous and somehow...encouraging.

"Yes, that's right! Envelop yourself in the rage! Fuel yourself with it! It's the only way you're going to beat me!"

Neptune felt herself collecting strength, and she barely realized that the gemstone within her tiara was radiating soft sea-green energy as she somehow managed to break out of Piccolo's death-grip – the green warrior was thrown back, losing his balance as his heels teetered on the edge of the mount.

"Deep..._Submerge_!" With a high-pitched scream, the attack erupted from her hands, more forcefully than she'd ever managed to her recollection. A glowing orb nearly twice the size of a normal Deep Submerge attack exploded toward Piccolo and hammered him in the chest. The force blew off him clear off of the mount, and it would've carried him much further had he not righted himself in mid-air. Neptune, breathing heavily, glaring at him as he floated back toward her with his arms folded as he observed the noticeable tear at the front of his purple gi.

After several seconds of silence – Neptune had been unable to attempt a follow-up and needed to re-gather her energy while Piccolo was frozen in the air – the Namek glanced back toward the flustered Sailor Soldier and nodded approvingly.

"Well done," He said, his tone calm and even once again. "It's as I suspected all along – just as I can raise my battle power by focusing my energy, your heightened emotional state drastically increases your power. It's just like Gohan used to experience...maybe it's simply something with you humans...but your potency..."

Neptune blinked, suspecting that it could've been a ploy on Piccolo's part to get her to lower her guard. But the Namek reached into his cloak, withdrawing another of the sand-colored senzu beans that had revived them all after the battle with Tridyx. He casually flipped it to her.

Sailor Neptune automatically snatched the senzu, almost fearing that she had blundered by doing so and leaving herself open for attack. But as she glanced at Piccolo's stone face, she realized that his hostile energy had diminished – he was done battling her.

"...Why...?" Her gaze shifted back and forth between the senzu and the Namek, confusion running rampant across her face. Finally though, after mulling over his words, she added the equation together. "...You did that to me deliberately – blowing up the house, all of the insults, the challenge...you were trying to anger me?"

"I am sorry for the outlandishness of my behavior," Piccolo said as he landed next to her. "I needed to test my theory; after recounting the details of the palace battle with Tridyx, I came to the conclusion that your emotions played perhaps a larger role in battle than even ours. It shows potential, a vast amount of potential, in fact."

Sailor Neptune was still somewhat shell-shocked at what had transpired, gazing at Piccolo in awe.

"All of this...to prove a theory?"

"Make no mistake – eliminating your luxury accommodations was a goal of mine. Believe me, you can stand improvement, and getting rid of the cushiness of your position is an excellent start. Increasing your strength will only add to your emotions in the middle of a battle. And for the remainder of this trip, you can expect me to attempt to strive for those improvements, whether you like it or not."

Neptune frowned as she chomped down the senzu bean; as before, she felt the weight of fatigue and soreness wafting away from her like a passing breeze; she was healthy again.

"Are you going to force me to defend myself?" She demanded.

"Well, I certainly know that you won't run and hide or cower before me should I present myself as an aggressive opponent. And trust me, if you can hold your own against me, you will go a long way when we return to the battlefront. You're strong, Michiru – but as your 'teacher,' I'll only make you that much stronger."

Piccolo lifted himself into the air again, motioning for her to follow.

"Now, the Dragonball is somewhere near the shoreline – let's go."

Neptune wordlessly floated upward to join him, staring into his coal-black eyes and shaking her head. The patronizing tone of his offer certainly annoyed her – how could Piccolo be so certain that Damos himself wasn't ten times stronger than he would ever be? It was still so arrogant, thinking himself a god...

She smirked – he was a god that she had thrown him back, dislodged, and scored temporary wins over during their little scuffle. While he probably hadn't been fighting with his full strength, the idea of out-finessing and out-doing the stoic warrior was quite appealing. And while it would take time, it was certainly possible...perhaps she'd even surpass her beloved...and wouldn't that infuriate Haruka...

And after all, hadn't she always prided herself as being exceptional at everything, at being a true renaissance woman?

She finally smirked, hooking her arm around Piccolo, much to his discomfort.

"Lead the way, teacher."

* * *

Piccolo tore his reddening face away from Sailor Neptune as he rocketed forward, solidly gripped onto her. He supposed it was the least he could do after his little experiment, but her gloved hands caressing his scaly skin completely unnerved him – it didn't feel natural. 

This womanly affection – mocking as it was – was still such an alien concept to the Namek. Even when she was providing it to her mate in true sincerity, Piccolo still wasn't able to grasp the reasoning behind it. While he could understand a parent attending to its young – he'd lived in the wilderness long enough to see entire life cycles of animals – he'd never thought of mates showing each other such attention. Perhaps it was because of his species; after all, Nameks, he had learned, didn't need biological partners to procreate...

He pushed his musings away, realizing he was using them to distract himself from Neptune's playful affection. Besides, considering what had happened only moments ago, his thoughts should've been analyzing something else...

As usual, his instincts had been proven correct about Neptune – her power had nearly exploded from his verbal and physical assaults. While she had been significantly worn out by the end of the exchange, it had been the last great attack she'd executed that really kept his attention on the matter.

During their travels, Neptune had told him of their new enemies' ability to block their mystical attacks; Tridyx, in particular, had thwarted their powers with nauseating ease. But that last Deep Submerge attack...he'd put up an effective energy defense around himself to absorb the brunt of the attack. Piccolo had become so experienced in such a technique that it was almost automatic...

While Sailor Neptune hadn't realized it in her anger and subsequent exhaustion, the attack had done more than just knock him off the mount and put a hole in his gi, but it had seemingly negated his energy defenses and gone clear through him. It had been all he could do to redirect all of his energies to regenerating the lost body parts – had she seen the true results of her handiwork, she never would've let him live it down, and her defiance to his suggestions of training would only increase.

_So, if their attacks are strong enough...not even conventional ki can deflect it..._ It was an interesting result from his experiment, one he'd never expected despite the stark differences in their powers. Perhaps he should've been better prepared for such an occurrence.

Not that it was a quick fix to her weaknesses – she'd only managed one such attack, and she'd done it at the pinnacle of anger and determination, a state that Piccolo had deliberately driven her to. Even more, she'd been thoroughly wiped out after the attack – she wouldn't have been able to manage another...

Despite the prodding reminder that Neptune was latched onto his arm, Piccolo grinned to himself. Perhaps she was more than just a frail maiden after all – if he could mold her to the point where she could execute such malevolent attacks automatically, who knew how useful she'd be in the end.

And if such results could've been produced from any of the Sailor Soldiers, he could only imagine how well Lord Kaio's training with Neptune's deceased counterparts was progressing...

* * *

"It'll soon be time," Kaio mused as he observed his pupils from the pearl gates of his estate – Bubbles was becoming frantic as he fled from his pursuers, and the old master could tell that he was nearly giving it everything he had to stay out of arm's reach of the remaining four Sailor Soldiers. He glanced over to the first of them to pass the speed training, a wry chuckle escaping his maw. "Ah, I'm sure you get that one a lot, you being the Guardian of Time and all!" 

Sailor Pluto shook her head, a slim smile still on her face as she observed her companions with optimism.

"Our princess and my daughter are mostly responsible for my library of jokes – guarding the Gates of Time for so long leaves one without much of a sense of humor."

Kaio shuddered.

"I wouldn't wish such a terrible fate on anyone! Nobody deserves to exist without a sense of humor. There's just no point to doing anything without being able to laugh about it every once in a while!"

Pluto turned to him inquisitively.

"Even the greatest villains of our time? You wouldn't even wish that on them?"

"My dear Guardian of Time, I have seen fiends and despots pass through our Universe's history, and I tell you, all of the most successful and eccentric of all of them had tremendous senses of humor, even if they needed to slaughter innocent living things to produce a raucous laugh..."

Pluto nonchalantly chuckled – she never thought of it like that. She had experienced some humorously-inclined villains in her battles. Though she'd never been around to meet the leaders of the Death Busters in the Old Era, Haruka and Michiru had told her of the eerie, ghost-like grin of their puppet leader.

"You may laugh now and call it nonsense, but my experiences have taught me something about the way conquerors and heroes think! I've trained the best fighters in this Universe, and I've seen them battle the most nefarious creatures ever created, but do you know the underlying reason for all of their exploits, why they strive so hard to destroy or defend?"

"I suppose you're going to surprise me with the answer..." Sailor Pluto ventured as she folded her arms.

Kaio pulled her closer, nearly whispering in her ear like the response was some great galactic secret.

"Because after all of their battles, after all of their goals have been achieved, good or evil, they all want to do one thing," He spoke slowly, as if he were carefully opening a present. "They want to look back on it all...and laugh, am I wrong?"

Sailor Pluto had proven herself correct, as her expression seemed baffled at first, but as Kaio gave her several seconds to absorb his response, her bewilderment softened.

"You see? I'm certain that should you prevail, even through the death and mayhem that these aliens have brought to your world, you'll be able to look back on the in-betweens and lowlights of the fighting and smile a bit."

"The in-betweens…" She mused leisurely. "During the past few weeks, I've realized that those moments are all the humanity and civility we have in war…It's a different feeling, having a conversation with someone about something mundane, knowing that it might be the last one you could have…"

Kaio blinked.

"A bad type of different?"

"No, not at all!" Pluto replied. "It's a good type of different, one that brings you closer to friends and makes friends out strangers and acquaintances."

Kaio grinned, his smile stretching across his entire face.

"And this coming from a person who once claimed she was bereft of humanity after guarding the Gates of Time for so long…"

Pluto whirled toward him in surprise.

"What…? How could you know that?" She demanded.

Kaio glanced upward, adjusting his sunglasses and spotting something against the pink backdrop of the sky.

"Ah, the mail has come!" He chortled. "It's about time…I haven't gotten a letter in weeks!"

The rectangular leaflet floated on a wafting breeze, and it neatly settled itself on the grass in front of the master. Sailor Pluto didn't think the letter's trajectory was coincidence – while some of the cosmic forces of Heaven were obvious, others were less so.

With his grubby blue hands, Kaio eagerly snatched up the sealed envelope and ripped it open. A small piece of stationery was inside, which he perused while mumbling the words to himself.

Finally, after some seconds, Kaio's face ballooned in disbelief, and he let out a guttural growl.

"What does he mean he's not coming back!" He shouted so loudly that Bubbles and the other Sailor Soldiers across the plain froze in their training, casting their attention toward the distraught master.

"My lord…" Pluto was equally baffled. She hadn't seen Lord Kaio this beside himself since Venus's dressing down of the joke contest. Since then, nothing had seemed to catch his worry – even when she'd mentioned the potential lack of time needed to complete this rigorous training to Lord Kaio, he'd waved it off with a smile and a joke. He'd seemed in control over everything until now.

"Err, it's nothing!" He babbled suddenly, realizing his outburst. "I just need to make some other arrangements…please, continue!" He called to make sure the others heard him before spinning on his heel and stomping inside his palace. As he marched, Pluto could see him crumpling the letter and spewing out spit-laden obscenities under his breath.

"Yeesh, didn't think that even great masters were able to get away with losing their tempers…" Sailor Pluto was startled by Sailor Venus's voice. Turning, she noticed that the Inner Soldiers' leader had zipped over from her position in the field to the entrance to Kaio's palace in a quick blink of an eye. Indeed, they were growing faster, as Lord Kaio had indicated. "What happened?"

"Minor change in plans, it seems…" Pluto gazed after the fuming lord with concern. Whatever had come up, she hoped it wouldn't set them too far off their course.

But as time passed, it was apparent that the lord wasn't returning for the moment – the training soon resumed. Pluto occupied herself with her own meditations while keeping a close watch on the progress of her friends.

* * *

The ape was a bit on the heavy side, which was amazing considering his blinding speed, but Sailor Jupiter was able to tow him back to where the others were waiting with cheers and whoops of triumph. 

Dropping the harried monkey to the grass nearby, Jupiter planted herself firmly, smiling proudly at her applauding friends. It had been quite a mountain to climb, one of her toughest ever, but she'd done it.

Bubbles, as always, had been a quick step ahead of her, and that pattern had persisted during the latest capture attempt until Jupiter had finally decided to fall back upon another strategy. By then, the immense gravity was almost a nonfactor – she'd been moving with the same speed and grace as she would've in Crystal Tokyo. When Bubbles had been a short distance away dodging Mercury and Venus, Jupiter had pumped all of her energy into her legs and did what she'd only recently been able to do during the war thanks to observing and learning from their alien enemies.

"You flew!" Mercury was marveling, her eyes bright with astonishment. "In all this gravity, you were able to fly just like that! Makoto, you're incredible…"

For once, Jupiter afforded herself a boastful moment, stretching her arms out and flexing them leisurely.

"Yeah, well, you want the job done, you do it right!" She beamed. "Now, where's that master of ours; how dare he not be here for our moments of glory!"

"I have a feeling he was watching, Makoto," Sailor Pluto had wandered over from her position in front of Lord Kaio's lavish estate, looking equally pleased with Sailor Jupiter's performance. Jupiter returned the smile – it may've been more overt and demanding than Setsuna's method, but the results spoke for themselves. "He's simply away, preparing for our next stage of training."

"Wait a second," Venus suddenly paused, confused as she panted through her words. "Doesn't he know that only two of us have even grabbed the stupid monkey?"

"He's confident in us…" Mars surmised, pounding her fists together. "If he's already arranging the next step, then he must know of our progress! He knows we'll be able to pass this test soon!"

"Rei, I don't actually think that Lord Kaio is a prophet of any kind…" Mercury interjected. "Strong as he is, he hasn't displayed any abilities to read into the future."

"Well, who needs to be a prophet if you can be a god instead?" Sailor Mars shrugged her shoulders.

"A god?" Even Sailor Pluto was surprised at that one. "What brings you to that conclusion, Rei?"

"When I dove into his mind," Sailor Mars explained. "I saw so much; it nearly overwhelmed even me. He's existed as part of this Universe for so long, I just couldn't stop exploring his incredible knowledge."

Pluto folded her arms.

"So that's what he meant when he said you'd taken some detours through his mind…"

"I couldn't help it!" Mars jumped to the defensive. "I saw him watching things with his telepathy…extraordinary things…only a god could possibly contain so many answers to so many questions…"

"Hey…" Venus batted Mars's shoulder. "Read us the history of the cosmos later – we've got a monkey to catch!"

"Now there's a call to battle for the ages to remember…" Jupiter murmured.

* * *

He shouldn't have had to deal with this. He was the greatest teacher of the Kaio fighting style throughout the generations; this was inexcusable, even by his standards. 

As he ascended the marble steps of his estate, Kaio tossed the small piece of stationery aside with disgust. He was beginning to wonder why Gregory hadn't responded to his summons before this letter arrived, and if he suspected such treachery out of any of his subordinates, he supposed that the speedy little cricket was the prime choice.

The letter had told in him in no uncertain terms that Gregory wasn't dispensing his services to Lord Kaio any longer. He'd been in the middle of visiting his relatives several planets away from Kaio's world, and he certainly had no desire to return and "get his head smashed in by more barbarians."

"Of all the nerve…" He grumbled to himself as he passed into the grand hall of his palace. "Is that any way to show respect to the master who cared for you?"

Kaio's halls were normally bustling with prospective students who normally made pilgrimages to his planet, looking for training and enlightenment. He'd closed his planet off once he knew of the arrival of the Sailor Soldiers, and it was proving irritating because he now had nobody to vent his frustrations to.

He took a deep breath, recollecting his thoughts. This wasn't a small setback; Gregory's style of training was still crucial to the progress of his new students – while Bubbles would improve their speed to a competent degree, being able to catch the quick, small Gregory and smashing him with a gigantic, two-ton hammer would've served to mix their speed with strength and muscular endurance. It was absolutely critical…how could they proceed under such circumstances…

"If you're that concerned about them, Lord Kaio, then why don't you let me train them instead?"

Kaio let out a frightened yelp, spinning around and growling toward the figure that'd surprised him.

"I thought I told you: don't sneak up on me like that! And what've I told you about peeking into my thoughts for that matter!"

The tall man relented, backing away with a sheepish grin.

"Sorry, I just couldn't help myself. I can't understand why Gregory would mind getting beaten on the head by such a soft hammer. But then, he always was a big baby…"

"And this coming for you, the man with the granite skull…" Kaio grumbled. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to work out some other arrangement for when they complete their training with Bubbles. If I can't move them up to the next level right away…"

"Like I said, why don't you let me?" The man eagerly proposed. "C'mon, I'm getting bored just sitting around here with nobody to spar with. You did promise me, after all…"

"Oh, I know…" Kaio pondered it briefly. He supposed he could let his disciple educate the Sailor Soldiers on the finer points of battle; the man certainly possessed a wealth of knowledge, perhaps even more than him on the secrets to becoming a perfect warrior. The master had hoped to save him for later, but considering circumstances... "Very well…as soon as Bubbles is done with them, I'll grant you free reign to train them as you see fit. I'm certain they'll be dying to receive your instruction…especially that Sailor Jupiter…"

"All right!" He pumped his arms in the air, that familiar twinkling returning to his eyes. It happened every time he went into combat, no matter who his opponents were.

"Just remember!" Kaio pointed out sternly. "Nobody doubts your abilities to beat them in combat. Your objective will be to improve them, not to demolish them – no pyrotechnics, understand?"

"I'll give it my best shot!" He was almost giddy with excitement, but before he could hurry on his way, Kaio held up his hand one more time.

"One last thing…you realize that if they find out your connection to their allies that are fighting in the Crystal Tokyo, there could be complications to the timeline."

The man shrugged his shoulders, his look nonchalant to the potential dilemma. Sailor Pluto certainly wasn't the only one concerned with keeping things from getting too out of hand. Interfering with the fabric of time too much could've had reproductions in the spirit world as well. That had been the reason that the suits and underlings running the show with Lord Enma hadn't been allowed to fiddle with it. Sailor Pluto's noble spirit had been sufficient enough to keep time guarded and out of the hands of intruders, both living and otherwise.

"Eh, time travel puzzles give me a headache; I've had enough experience sorting through them," His disciple replied. "What would I have to do?"

Kaio felt the cheery smirk returning to his face. He'd planned for this occasion with his own sense of humor in mind.

"A small little disguise…would you come with me for a moment?"

* * *

It had been tricky - then again, throughout the entire ordeal, Sailor Mars had found catching the speedy little ape had been nothing but an exercise in trickery and strategy. 

However, as she held the wriggling Bubbles aloft by his tail, she felt an immense satisfaction. While she hadn't utilized the same gung-ho, never-say-die approach as Sailor Jupiter, the result had been the same.

It had been a success in an experiment she'd fiddled with since the start of their training - as she'd grown adjusted to her surroundings and the immense gravity keeping them grounded, she'd attempted something with which Sailor Pluto had remarkable success - using her mental abilities as a source of energy. The only difference between her and Setsuna had been Mars's ability to get a solid bead on Bubbles's spirit. From there, she'd done something that she hadn't fully expected to work - Sailor Mars had called upon her spiritual energies, and they'd been so forceful that she'd managed to inflict her personal muscle-binding curse on the monkey from over a hundred yards away and without the traditional seal, no less.

The rest had been academic.

Amid the ecstatic congratulations of her teammates, Sailor Mars had been more preoccupied with her developing powers. Just being in the midst of such potent spiritual energy of the souls of both the Seat of Judgment and the planets of Heaven had affected her state of mind - she had since been able to expand upon her understanding and interaction with the spiritual forces around her without the corporeal mortal barriers of Earth in the way.

As she dropped the chubby ape onto the ground, she made a note to herself to approach Lord Kaio during the next levels of training - after all, who better to teach her about spiritual forces than a god?

"Three down, two to go," Sailor Jupiter commented as Sailor Mercury and Sailor Venus resumed their attempt to capture Bubbles. The monkey, still apparently bewildered by Sailor Mars's tactics, was distracted during its evasive maneuvering between the two Sailor Soldiers. "That was a neat little trick you pulled off - don't tell me you could freeze any of us by doing that?"

"I'm not really sure," Sailor Mars admitted, stretching out on the grass. "This is a pretty ideal spot to use my binding techniques - we are in Heaven, after all. Once we're reborn, I don't know how much of an effect it'll have on Earth."

"Just don't use that on me if we're sparring together, okay?" Jupiter laughed. "It just wouldn't be a fair fight otherwise."

"And your brute strength is fair?" Mars countered. "You'll be able to lift mountains by yourself once this training's finished."

"Hey, I'm not stopping at such a low point," Jupiter said. "Setsuna was saying that some of these Z guys had enough power to blow up entire planets if they wanted to. That's where I want to be!"

Mars raised her head.

"And when do you think you'll be in a position where you need that kind of power? Do you want to blow up Earth once we get back?"

Jupiter's enthusiasm froze, and she mulled it over briefly.

"Well...you never know!" She stammered. "Besides, I wanna look my best for those Z fighters. If they're that strong, I want to be even stronger!"

The two watched for another fifteen minutes as Mercury and Venus came within inches of snaring Bubbles. Mercury, especially, was looking particularly determined. The one who had once been the smallest and most reserved of all the Inner Soldiers was the one who'd shown the most physical improvement since the training had begun. While she'd always kept her body trim with her rigorous swimming regiment, she was looking noticeably toughened and more confident than Mars had ever seen her.

But then again, they all were to a large degree - at first, she hadn't thought it conceivable that they could've improved so much in such a relatively short span. But yet, here they were moving about easily in gravity ten times that of their home planet. Even she was excited to see how much more these benefits would carry over onto Earth...

* * *

After another hour of close but ultimately fruitless attempts, Sailor Mercury finally decided to take a cue from Sailor Mars - after all, Rei had utilized her greatest strengths with her training to catch Bubbles; why couldn't she? 

As Sailor Venus dashed about in circles attempting to snare Bubbles, Mercury activates her visor, mentally feeding it commands as gold text spilled across the transparent device. Thus far, Bubbles had moved totally erratically; not even her advanced computer could detect any patterns or weaknesses...

...or had it?

Bubbles accelerated away from Venus yet again, and Mercury noticed the readings on his spiritual energy increasing with his speed. But as he got to a safe distance, it dramatically dropped...so much so that the computer could barely tell his spiritual energy apart from the surrounding ambience.

The mathematician side of her kicked in.

_So, his kinetic energy used for running is exponentially increased by his spiritual residue...I wonder, could this be the secret of our enemies' powers?_ It was an interesting theory - after all, she'd seen the alien soldiers perform feats that normal muscles simply couldn't accomplish...the spiritual residue was still an unknown factor, but--

"Hey!" Sailor Mars's voice from the sidelines snapped her back to reality. "Are you going to stand there counting numbers all day? You're so close, Ami, just a little closer, and he's yours!"

She smiled bashfully back in her friend's direction - Rei had done the most consistent job of keeping Mercury motivated even during the toughest parts of the training. She supposed she couldn't disappoint the fire soldier now.

But the data had given her a plan - if she could expend her energy in one great burst when Bubbles's spiritual energy was at a low...it was her best chance!

She crept around the width of the field as Sailor Venus continued to give chase. She kept tracking Bubbles's energy with her visor; he was able to accelerate from a stand-still to a full sprint in a matter of a few seconds, but he was still easily distracted, turning to sniff the flowers whenever Venus was safely away. His spiritual energy dropped dramatically during that period...

Determined, she summoned up a Shine Aqua Illusion attack - if flowers caught his attention so easily, a dancing column of water would do just as well.

Sailor Mercury sent the attack sailing toward - but not directly at - Bubbles. Sure enough, the watery diversion did its job, and the monkey's beady eyes widened at the enormous column of water sent his way. Mercury saw the figures on her visor dropping to a new low, and she seized the opportunity.

Dashing forward with a speed unknown to her, Mercury quickly closed the gap, and she made the winning grab before Bubbles even knew what hit him.

_Yes!_

Her comrades immediately saw the grab and began cheering her on. Bubbles, while a bit more than surprised that he'd been grabbed, was still a good sport about it, smiling as Mercury gently let him down. She confidently faced her teammates as she deactivated her visor. Once again, science and analysis had proven to be her saving grace.

The only one seeming a bit downtrodden was Sailor Venus, who was frozen in mute shock at the recent turn of events. Mercury walked over toward her.

"Hey, are you alright?" She asked the dumbfounded leader of the Inner Soldiers. Realizing what she was probably thinking, Mercury suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. "S...sorry, I...I know you probably didn't want to be the last one to..."

Venus lowered her head, her blonde hair covering her dirtied face. She remained silent for several seconds longer.

"...I'm okay...really..." She lifted her face, and Mercury was surprised to see an almost comical smile of confidence on her face. "I'm proud of you, Ami; you did really good! Just give me a few minutes longer; I don't want to keep you guys waiting for the next step!"

Mercury breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, we'll wait for you!"

As Venus braced herself for another go as Bubbles, Mercury sauntered over to where Mars and Jupiter were waiting with congratulatory smiles.

* * *

As Sailor Venus watched Mercury trot away with her victory, she felt ready to scream and tear the surrounding landscape apart. While she was proud of Ami, Venus was the leader of their group! If there was any righteousness in this so-called Heaven, she should've been first in line to capture that damned ape! At the very _least_ she could've been second or third to accomplish the task, but here she was, bringing up the rear. 

The leader of the Inner Soldiers, dead last.

Bubbles didn't seem to have much sympathy, hurrying on his way as if he'd forgotten about her. Venus felt depression caving in on her - she'd been one of the most ardent workers throughout this exercise; it just wasn't fair, she felt so...so...

Weak.

Bubbles was gradually getting a further lead on her, but Venus found herself lost in her thoughts. She felt as sickened as she did when Tridyx had turned her own attack back on her and Sailor Jupiter, using it to effectively annihilate them. That had never happened to her before, not ever...it was as much humiliating as it was disheartening. No leader was ever this far behind her teammates...even now, the others had to be wondering about her...

_No._

She forced the images away from her - the constant negativity had distracted her for too long. Ever since they'd arrived, she'd been unable to expel Tridyx's grinning face from her mind. At every failed attempt, she envisioned him and his two allies raucously jeering her weakness.

Staring up at Bubbles, she saw a new face - Tridyx, the smirking barbarian. She imagined he was beckoning mockingly to her, shouting depraved insults in her direction. From all around her, she imagined his boisterous laughter echoing in her ears. It spurred her, bringing out a new fury that previously had been despair.

With a determined shout, Venus rushed Bubbles, adrenaline and rage carrying her faster and faster. While the panicked monkey began sprinting in the opposite direction, Venus still retained the image of Tridyx fleeing from her but still egging her on. But even as his arrogant smirk persisted, Venus felt herself closing in on him, and she reached back, throwing all her power in her fist.

_Take this...!_

The swing struck the grinning oaf on the chin, and he stumbled backward - Venus sprung forward, tackling him to the ground and gripping his neck tightly. Somehow, Tridyx was still smiling, seemingly unaffected by her wrath.

"Damn you, I'm not weak! I'M NOT WEAK!" She cried, her grip tightening.

"Venus, stop!" The next voice was Sailor Jupiter's; somehow it pierced through the enraging visions and brought her back. The laughter faded into the wind, and as she glanced down, she saw that her hands were wrapped around the back of Bubbles's neck, and the ape was gagging for air.

_I...I got him...! I got him!_

The sound of footsteps hurrying over to her barely registered as she got up from pounding Lord Kaio's pet. Instead, she glanced down at the patches of fur that Bubbles had left on her gloves. For the first time in a while, she felt herself smiling. She'd done it; she'd beaten him...

Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter seemed harried as they halted in front of her.

"Venus, what in the world happened...?" Jupiter asked her close friend. Her eyes were filled with concern at seeing Venus so out of control. "You were just--"

The Inner Soldier leader smiled at her.

"It's fine...I'm sorry," She said calmly. "I kinda lost my temper..."

She picked up the dazed Bubbles, who looked up at her as if nothing had happened.

"Thanks, Bubbles," She pet his head. "I needed that."

* * *

The armored sentinel that had cut Vegeta off definitely carried a different aura about him than the cannon fodder that the Saiyan prince had dispatched thus far. His confidence was easily apparent as Vegeta examined his chiseled face and solidly built body; the neon sigil emblazoned on his upper left chest plate was the same he'd seen on the aerial platoons that had led him to the Siege Wall. From the general look of his opponent and the speed and deftness with which he'd caught up to Vegeta – which had been an irritating surprise – the prince gathered that he was a high-ranking officer of that regiment if not its leader. 

"Greetings..." He simply said.

Vegeta made no move at first except to tuck his stolen energy core from one of the Siege Wall's tanks under his arm. The precious treasure would not be wrenched from him except from his dead body, and he had no intention of letting that fate befall him.

The soldier studied Vegeta carefully, his face stoic.

"I am Jinryx, commander of the aerial brigade of Seeker-killers. Tell me, which Class Twelve officer did you kill to get that set of armor?" He wondered aloud.

Vegeta responded with nothing more than a smirk. It hadn't been the first occasion that Damos's soldiers had mistaken his attire for theirs. The vest-like battle jacket that Vegeta had donned for some time before this adventure had come from the armory of the spaceship that Frieza had taken to Namek. Even so, the assumption made by Damos's lackeys was a bonus that he could easily play to his advantage - it made him that much deadlier in their eyes.

The soldier seemed to gather that he wasn't going to receive a response for that question, so he shifted his focus to the radiant canister tucked under Vegeta's arm.

"I see...you were sent to retrieve one of those energy cores for your kingdom," He determined. "I must say, your boldness to storm such a fortified stronghold impresses me. Nevertheless, I can't allow you to deliver that to your superiors - return it."

Vegeta nearly laughed. This man spoke to him like he was a child; how ignorant.

"First of all, don't equate me with the humans; they're not my superiors, and I'm certainly not their lapdog," He retorted. "They're a means to an end, just like this little treasure. And if you're anything like those worthless grunts guarding the city, you're not going to be the one who takes it from me."

Jinryx seemed pleased at Vegeta's defiance, folding his arms and smiling.

"Oh, trust me, my friend, I'm quite superior to those under my command," He motioned to his attire proudly. "I haven't become a member of the general's elite forces for nothing."

At first, Vegeta thought he was referring to the neon sigil, but the emphasis seemed more toward the jet black armor he was donning instead. Besides, the feebleness of the similarly marked grunts Vegeta had observed earlier ruled them out of any contingent of elite forces.

"If you're the best that Damos has to offer, then I don't have that much to worry about," Vegeta countered, drawing the attention of the soldier as the warlord's name slipped out of his mouth. The prince noticed his alertness to the name right away.

"...You seem well-educated on us," Jinryx observed as Vegeta silently made note of the confirmation. While he'd been sure of Damos's hand in this invasion before, hearing it from the mouth of one of his closest fighters was reassuring. "I'd certainly be interested in knowing where you obtained such information. Hardly any of our enemies learn the identity of the general even in their last hours."

Vegeta gave a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

"Sorry, it's slipping my mind at the moment," He paused, considering an option. The energy core he held was one thing, but if this fool was one of Damos's elites, there were even more possibilities. "But...since I like being educated on my enemies, perhaps I can learn more on the scouter of yours."

"My scouter?" Jinryx removed the implement from his ear. "It will do you no good - nobody outside of our army can access our databases."

Vegeta slowly began to raise his energy; the enemy officer's scouter immediately noticed the power-up, and Jinryx glanced at the numbers with a bit of uncertainty.

"Well then, perhaps you could assist my efforts, warrior to warrior," He proposed in a bit of mock-diplomacy. "I don't suppose that would be possible without a few broken bones? I truly despise having to soil my hands against your scum."

Jinryx appeared hesitant, but with a quick grin, he tensed his arm and crushed the device to pieces in his hand. Vegeta scowled as the soldier tossed away the broken bits of glass and circuitry, but he ultimately didn't care; he'd considered that to be a potential gift anyway. It wasn't as if he'd lost anything.

"I'm never too careful," Jinryx informed him. "You're as tough as they say; my men have grown fearful of encountering you or your allies. I, on the other hand, welcome this. I haven't sparred with a truly decent opponent in years. Certainly, a man like you can appreciate a challenge."

By the gods, this fool was beginning to sound like Kakarotto…

But even the bad memories of his Saiyan rival didn't intimidate Vegeta as he continued to stare down his eager opponent. Fast as the armored man was, Vegeta didn't foresee any difficulty in beating him back - Jinryx had seemingly used up the bulk of his ki chasing the Saiyan prince down. Despite his instincts invoking caution, he couldn't imagine the humanoid roadblock packing anything substantial after expending such energy.

"Whatever, you're all the same," He scoffed at the soldier, eyeing up the dark armor once more. "As a matter of fact, I believe one of my associates dealt with someone like you when we first arrived here."

The man arched an eyebrow in a bit of surprise.

"You must be referring to Tridyx," He correctly surmised. "His loss was regrettable, but it's nothing that we can't replace. Besides, he was new to the elite ranks of our forces, and I assure you, I'm a far greater master of the arts than he ever would've been. You might be interested to know that nobody has ever defeated me in hand-to-hand combat!"

Vegeta laughed, mockingly bowing toward Jinryx.

"Well then, my apologies, good sir," He snickered. "But it lifts my spirits – now I can inscribe my own name in the legend of your illustrious army as the one who not only beat you but also as the one who killed you."

"Your arrogance is ill-advised…" Jinryx paused momentarily, and Vegeta suddenly wondered if he'd simply stumbled over his words. But as the prince was about to retort, his senses were pricked by a large upsurge of ki from the armored soldier, and before he could react, Jinryx vanished before his sight. Vegeta gasped in sudden bewilderment; suddenly, he was seized from behind by a pair of steel-like arms.

The sudden hold caused him to lose his grip on the cylinder in his arms. Cursing as it plummeted downward and out of his reach, Vegeta watched helplessly as the canister shattered into pieces on the rooftop of a nearby building. Whatever internal forces that kept the ki ball inside stable were eradicated in an instant, and the orb quickly dispersed, its power gone.

But there was no time for worrying about the lost treasure; Jinryx was stretching his arms out in an unnatural direction, causing Vegeta to clench his teeth in pain.

_Damned freak…!_

In desperation, Vegeta exploded his energy outward in a bright luminescent field. The ki wouldn't have killed anything, but the shock and suddenness of it was enough to force Jinryx backward several yards. Vegeta quickly righted himself and whirled to face him – _that _certainly wouldn't happen again.

Jinryx remained stationary, folding his arms and nodding.

"Not bad, but I got what I needed from you," He informed Vegeta. The Saiyan prince was a bit surprised at the declaration; his astonishment must've been evident because Jinryx continued. "It's amazing what one can discern from simple movements."

"What do you mean?" Vegeta demanded.

Jinryx simply held up a finger.

"The body of any warrior of our caliber is finely honed and coordinated. Each muscle, tendon, and nerve knows one another. Even slight gestures can require multiple muscle commands – I've made it a habit to single out the internal areas of my opponents that might hesitate or move erratically because of past injuries…including yours!"

"Hah! What nonsense are you babbling?" Vegeta folded his arms, his amusement with this eccentric character returning. "I'm not even of the same fodder race as you; how could you possibly--"

"Your heart…" Jinryx pointed an almost accusing finger in the direction of Vegeta's upper left chest, giving the prince some pause. The soldier's eyes bored into the spot as if he could see past the armor, jumpsuit, and skin. "My…to have that part of your body damaged so badly, you must've been at Death's door."

Vegeta made no reply, his voice catching in his throat – indeed, his heart had been pierced fairly recently by Frieza during their battle on Namek. The wound had ended up being a deathblow; the only reason he even existed in the mortal world now was because of a wish made from the Dragonballs.

"Still don't believe me?" Jinryx directed his finger upward and over. "Your right eye…you've injured it more than once. It's one of the worst disadvantages for a warrior to have bad eyesight."

At first, Vegeta refused to believe it, but he realized that Jinryx was right about that one as well – his right eye had been blasted away by Kakarotto on Earth, and the injury was aggravated again on Namek in the battles against Frieza's Ginyu Force. How was this possible…he couldn't have been guessing at this…

"You seem worried," Jinryx informed him. "I wouldn't be – you have fewer weaknesses than most of my opponents. It's going to be fun breaking through you…"

Vegeta cracked a sneer. The soldier may've been a phenomenal analyst, but except for one sneak attack, his strength certainly hadn't impressed the prince.

"If you're through pointing at me, we can get to business," He spat. "If you think you get to me with just two minor bits of--"

Vegeta caught Jinryx's ki boosting again, but he was prepared for him this time – he quickly spun with an energized fist and clobbered Jinryx right on the nose as he appeared behind where Vegeta had been standing. The blow threw the soldier backward; blood spurted a bit from his left nostril.

It didn't deter Jinryx for too long – he burst his speed again, charging Vegeta head-on. The prince was prepared to meet him – he could already read Jinryx's movement, and he spotted the shifting of his body toward Vegeta's left. The fool was attempting to target his heart, his supposed 'weak point.' As if a Saiyan elite would have such an abominable thing…

He maneuvered his arms upward in a defensive parry move, angling his body away so as not to leave his heart exposed. If he thought Vegeta was that dense…

But Jinryx's target wasn't as the prince expected – instead of attempting to break through his defenses, Vegeta found the soldier snaring his right arm instead, twisting it downward and inside so quickly that he nearly snapped the bone. In the same instant as Vegeta recovered from the sudden burst of pain and surprise of the attack, Jinryx's armored fist sailed into his exposed right eye, snapping Vegeta's neck backward. Just as quickly, Jinryx jerked Vegeta back into him with his own ensnared arm and proceeded to jam his hardened elbow straight into his upper left chest plate, right into his heart.

It took several quick thrusts from Jinryx's elbow before Vegeta finally had mustered his wits and launched a ki blast with his free hand in the direction of Jinryx's face. The soldier saw the counter-attack coming, and rather than take a direct hit from a ki blast, he relinquished his hold on Vegeta's arm and sailed backward on his own power. The blast flew right past Jinryx's left ear, almost grazing it. Vegeta swore under his breath – he'd been outsmarted in that exchange; he'd been caught in a counter-attack like a rookie recruit. He resisted the temptation to clutch at his throbbing heart and eye, realizing at the same time that the pain from those two areas was manifesting itself in the surrounding parts of his body; his neck began to tighten slightly, and his left arm and chest were stinging. There couldn't have been any truth to this type of nonsensical fighting style...

"Again!" Jinryx bellowed as he swooped toward Vegeta for a second time. The prince tensed himself, deciding to start first this time. As Jinryx dove into arm's range, Vegeta took a quick uppercut at the soldier's thick jaw. The maneuver caught Jinryx off-guard; Vegeta was certain he'd seen through him this time.

But this result was just as disappointing as the first - Jinryx somehow blinked away from the incoming punch, forcing himself back just a few feet out of Vegeta's range. As the punch carried through to impact nothing but open air, Jinryx seized the opportunity to counter. He blasted forward, ramming his forehead into Vegeta's face at a considerable speed. Vegeta cried out, his aerial stance faltering after the quick blow. Jinryx easily followed up, clubbing Vegeta's heart again with a fierce double fist. Still dazed, Vegeta could feel the soldier snaring both his arms by the triceps, and the prince felt more jarring pain shooting through him as the soldier drove his head repeatedly into Vegeta's heart.

After half a dozen shots, Vegeta felt warm fluid seeping up through his throat, and seconds later, blood began exiting his mouth along with his spit.

_Not...so...easy...!_

Turning both fists upward, Vegeta discharged a pair of ki blasts toward Jinryx. This time, the soldier could not back off to dodge them. The energy for the blasts had been quickly gathered, and as they struck Jinryx's chest, they did little more than surprise and distract him long enough for Vegeta to get his legs up and slam his feet into his enemy's midsection. The force drove the soldier backward once more, but Vegeta was still feeling the effects of the recent barrage - his upper left chest ached and burned, and his eyesight was slightly blurred from the initial headbutt. But Jinryx had succeeded in enraging the Saiyan prince - Vegeta wouldn't sit still like a sack of rocks while the soldier attacked again.

He energized himself and soared forward with a bloody scream.

Jinryx had managed to recompose himself in time for Vegeta's strike. He faded from the first punch, then the next one and the third. Vegeta continued to swing angrily at the soldier, nearly scraping Jinryx's skin on a number of occasions. He was succeeding in keeping the soldier on the defensive, but nothing more.

Finally, after a particularly hard swing that nearly singed Jinryx's nose, the soldier surprised Vegeta by snaring the prince's passing arm and jerking him forward. Simultaneously, he jammed his elbow back into Vegeta's right eye. As the prince stumbled, Jinryx slammed his fist in his heart yet again, sending him sailing downward.

Vegeta managed to steady himself before he came close to crashing into anything, but his temper was flaring hotter than ever - he considered himself quite a grizzled veteran in hand-to-hand combat, and he certainly hadn't fallen out of practice. How was this fool capitalizing on him so easily?

"Not bad!" Jinryx called down to him. "You've got spirit and resolve! At this rate, it may take six more strikes for me to fell you!"

Vegeta defiantly spat a glob of crimson fluid out of his mouth.

"Six, eh?" He tensed his muscles, charging himself with brilliant energy as he blocked the nagging pain out of his mind. "Too bad, I'll only need one!"

As he rushed in for an attack, however, Vegeta found himself foiled again as Jinryx somehow managed to slip behind him in an instant, clubbing his back and sending the Saiyan pitching forward. Vegeta rebounded and bolted for Jinryx again, but as he locked hands with his foe, Jinryx surprised him with a quick headbutt to the eyes, which reignited the fiery pain from the earlier blows. Jinryx broke the grapple and pounced on Vegeta's chest with a flurry of punches. He finished the combination with another hard elbow that repelled the prince.

This time, the Saiyan paused in flight, wiping away fresh fluids from around his right eye and trying not to let his overwhelming frustration show. Jinryx remained cool and stationary, obviously waiting for Vegeta to attempt another foolhardy charge. That alone was a mocking insult – he didn't even consider Vegeta threatening enough to pursue and finish off.

He quickly ran the patterns through in his mind - surely, this fighting machine had a chink in his armor. His battle power wasn't that high - even Frieza's lowest, most conservative form had possessed a significantly greater amount. It was only when he utilized his super-speed skill and delivered physical blows that his ki spiked.

But Vegeta wondered - why go after his heart and eye with only punches and martial arts? Both areas had been more severely impacted in the past by energy attacks - Kakarotto had blown out his eye with a moderate blast of energy during their battle on Earth, and a ki ray from Frieza's fingertip had been what punctured his heart and ended his life before...

He smirked - perhaps he had found a weakness.

"You seem confident all of a sudden," Jinryx noticed, folding his arms. "Too confident for a fighter who has yet to land a solid blow on me."

"And you've only seen an inkling of my power," Vegeta began shifting his ki into his fists, a fierce purple glow surrounding them as Jinryx took up a defensive stance. "Eat this!"

He cupped his hands together in front of his chest, releasing a torrent of violent purple energy that streaked toward Jinryx. For the first time, Vegeta saw fear in his eyes as he barely managed to duck away while the blast sailed past him.

As the soldier remained a bit off-balance, Vegeta made his move, super-speeding behind Jinryx and releasing another orb of ki directly into the soldier's back at close range. The orb detonated on contact, throwing Jinryx away.

"Let's see how good my aim is..." Vegeta smirked as he leveled his fore finger at the tumbling adversary. He took a bead on Jinryx, wondering where he could target first. His head? Perhaps...but this clown had spilled Vegeta's noble blood and wounded his pride - he hardly deserved a quick death. His chest and back had been hit already by ki blasts, but that black shell protecting him was tough to penetrate; not even his most recent attack had done much damage to the soldier's armor. Jinryx's arms and legs on the other hand...

Taking careful aim and waiting for the wind to calm down, Vegeta formed a small ki orb on the tip of his finger. As soon as Jinryx had righted himself, Vegeta let fly with a dart of energy. The blast stung the soldier on the left kneecap, and Vegeta could see the pain visibly on Jinryx's face. He quickly fired another ki dart that flattened against the joint between Jinryx's right elbow and forearm. Again, the impact was evident by Jinryx's reaction.

Vegeta took his time, repeatedly puncturing Jinryx with needle-thin ki rays on his extremities as he casually floated closer to his stunned opponent. By the time the prince was a stone's throw away, Jinryx's arms and legs had been bruised and bloodied quite liberally.

"What's the matter?" Vegeta mocked him as he kept him pinned with his short energy bursts. "A fighter with outward control of ki would be able to counter these easily. I see how you've gotten so adept at hand-to-hand combat - you can't project energy away from your body. Imagine that - even when I was a boy, I could do this!"

"Damned...wretch!" Jinryx shouted through Vegeta's continuous ki barrage. "The strongest is not just the one who can form the largest collection of energy!"

With a determined shout, Jinryx powered forward through two or three more ki needles, nearly crushing Vegeta's jaw with a roundhouse if the prince hadn't ducked out of the way. Vegeta sailed backward as Jinryx pursued; as the soldier got close enough, the prince flashed a pair of ki orbs in his attacker's face, blinding him. Finally, Vegeta took some physical revenge, clubbing Jinryx in the stomach and booting him in the jaw. The soldier tumbled away as Vegeta sent another barrage of larger ki rays in his direction. Jinryx regained himself too soon, however, and zipped out of their range before they could do their damage.

He stood his ground as Vegeta ceased fire; while the alien lackey was battered and bleeding all over, there was still a lot of fight left in him.

"Strong as you are, you're nothing without this skill!" Vegeta showed off, forming ki orbs over each fingertip and manipulating them in a circular pattern around his hands. "You're a tough brawler, it's true, but an elite fighter? I think not..."

"It'll still be enough to beat you..." Jinryx spiked his ki again, zipping toward Vegeta as he dissipated his energy show. The prince scowled outwardly at the soldier's persistence, but at the same time, he was back in control again - it would only be a matter of time before he dismantled this vagabond...

* * *

Despite the dangers all around them, Sailor Uranus was glad to be back on the field. Languishing in the palace for so long made her wounds ache - the recent combat with enemy patrols had restored her vigor easily; their group had steamrolled over more than three dozen low-level troops on their way to the edge of the city, and they'd all been dispatched without injury to her or her teammates. 

They passed quickly and quietly through the empty, disheveled streets; she had placed herself on point with Sailor Saturn while Yamcha, Chaozu, and Krillin followed close behind. There were now only mere miles from the city limits, where the enemy's fortified defense perimeter awaited.

An hour-long discussion with the king and Captain Benson had confirmed her earlier fears: despite the persistent training of their soldiers in the enemy's ki techniques - training that was being continued by Tenshinhan and Son Gohan during their mission - estimates of remaining squad members had left a bitter taste in their mouths. While their kingdom had regained momentum in recent days, they still lacked the manpower necessary to maintain a consistent counterattack. Even with an army of soldiers with adequate knowledge of the enemy's abilities, Damos still had a bigger, better trained army suffocating them from without. If they decided to launch an all-out offensive against the palace, the chances for mustering an effective defense would be slim at best.

She'd grudgingly passed Tenshinhan's idea on to the king and the captain, and while everybody was in agreement that there was a major risk in attempting to reach those still waiting beyond Crystal Tokyo's borders - in reality, there was no guarantee that there was anybody still left outside the capital - they had decided that it was worth the risk.

"Keep your energy down," Krillin was muttering to Sailor Saturn as a few aerial soldiers high overhead passed by them. "If those scouters sense us..."

As the party broke up and tried their best to hide themselves among the broken street, the aerial party paused in their flight path. After a glance down onto the cluttered roadway, they resumed their course. Sailor Uranus breathed a sigh of relief - they could've handled a few grunts, but engaging in too many skirmishes would only attract more enemy soldiers to their location.

"You're getting much better at that," Krillin commented with admiration toward the young Sailor Soldier.

"It's something Gohan's been teaching me," Saturn explained. "I'm still practicing a bit…"

"Let's get a move on!" Uranus barked as she motioned for their infiltration party to continue on its course up the boulevard. If they could avoid trouble for the next few blocks, then they stood a decent chance of slipping through the border defenses. Getting caught now would likely alert those heavy fortifications, making their mission all but impossible.

They proceeded silently for a bit longer, the empty streets providing a cautioned relief. If there was one thing that Damos's patrols didn't seem to comprehend, it was how to travel without drawing attention to themselves. It could've been incompetence, but Uranus gathered that it was more out of arrogance. Their enemies didn't even consider the humans to be worth preparing for.

They finally reached a crucial crossroads – behind several disheveled skyscrapers, Uranus knew a horde of alien soldiers would be waiting to obliterate anything that attempted to pass through to the outer country beyond the city limits. It had been the sight of several heavy defeats for the Crystal Tokyo Special Forces before; even with Yamcha, Krillin, and Chaozu now accompanying them, they were still severely outnumbered.

"So…" Krillin looked to waver slightly, his oval eyes trembling slightly and his muscles tense. "…How do we go from here?"

Uranus ran through the possibilities – Krillin and Chaozu had been elected to escort Sailor Saturn outside the enemy defenses while Uranus and Yamcha provided the necessary diversion to draw the soldiers away; the small size of each of the exiting party gave them some added benefits to infiltration and sneaking around cover. While Gohan had dutifully reminded them of the princess's advantage over Sailor Saturn in terms of smaller stature, Uranus had flatly countered his argument with the idea that she'd almost been killed once already under Gohan's watch – they wouldn't take that chance again.

Saturn would do just as well – as long as one of Crystal Tokyo's own was present to vouch for the current state of the kingdom, any survivors beyond the city limits would've listened wholeheartedly and without suspicion of Krillin and Chaozu's identities and loyalties.

"We'll head in first," Sailor Uranus determined as Yamcha's face lit up with eagerness. "They're sure to recognize both of us; if we drop enough energy on top of them, it may be enough to spur them long enough for you three to slip through."

"I've got just the bag of tricks for the job," Yamcha boasted. "Just follow my lead, Uranus."

The Outer Soldier commander passed the fighter a stern gaze.

"How about we stick to an organized plan?" She scolded him. "Don't get too out of hand; this could easily backfire if you're too over-the-top."

"Sorry, Uranus, but I don't think Yamcha knows any other style," Krillin noted with a smirk. Sailor Uranus frowned – she wished she'd taken the more focused Tenshinhan over this brash thug. At least the three-eyed warrior was intelligent enough to know what strategy applied to what circumstance. Had she not been as strict, she knew that Yamcha would've started tearing apart everything he could get his hands on without regard for the consequences.

"Okay, give us five good minutes to get their attention," Uranus stated. "I'll leave the rest up to the three of you."

"If we find anybody out there, I'll contact you," Saturn said to Uranus. "How far should we expand our search?"

"Don't take more than a day to cover your ground," Sailor Uranus replied, reinforcing the time limit for Krillin and Chaozu with a stern nod. The two Z Warriors acknowledged the order. "We still need you three back here to help with the defenses. Be ready to return at once if something goes wrong."

"I can sense a lot of their energy concentrated along the central highway a few blocks east," Yamcha reported. "If there's a good place to start, it would be there. They'll all probably come running if they think we're trying to break out on the main road."

Uranus was surprised at the logic, but from the glimmer in Yamcha's eyes and the smile on his face, she was willing to bet that he made the point because he wanted to strike where the most potential targets would be; it would've been more of a melee for him to enjoy.

She raised her Space Sword, charging it with energy. Yamcha began to power himself up, his ki energy blazing around him like a transparent fire.

"Here goes nothing…" Uranus steeled herself. "Wish us lu--"

"Wait!" Krillin shouted, his head jerking back in the direction from which they'd come. He paused, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the area. "…There's a massive energy clash back that way…two huge kis…"

"A battle?" Uranus guessed, confused. "It couldn't be from any of our soldiers, except…"

"Vegeta," Yamcha finished. "It could only be him…I wonder why these guys aren't detecting the kis on their scouters and heading after them?"

"They're fading in and out, as if they're fighting only a few minutes at a time," Krillin hypothesized. "That's a good question though; it would help our distraction job quite a bit…"

"We should go get him!" Saturn suggested. "He'd be the perfect candidate for this type of fight!"

Uranus passed her subordinate a disapproving glance; for Saturn to even think of utilizing the arrogant Saiyan prince as a positive in their plan should've been well beneath her.

"There's no guarantee that he would come even if we asked," She protested.

"He'd never pass up a chance for wholesale destruction," Krillin pointed out. "Besides, somehow I have a feeling that he's already acquainted himself with this place considering the battle he's gotten himself into…"

"He makes a good case…" Yamcha mused. "We do need all the help we can get."

Uranus grumbled beneath her breath.

"Fine," She spat. "But the two of you can go retrieve him – we'll scout ahead for possible entry points through their lines. Now get going!"

The two martial artists recoiled from the biting command, both of them shooting off into the air toward Vegeta's position.

"If we're lucky, they'll get Vegeta to give us a hand out here," Chaozu piped in cheerfully.

_If we're lucky, they'll maul each other to death…_ While Uranus meant the thought as sour grapes, she was beginning to tire of the sidelong glances that Krillin and Yamcha had been passing in her general direction whenever they were around her. While Minako or Makoto would've found that flattering, she did not – it was a relief to be rid of them momentarily.

The remaining trio held their position while awaiting their return, keeping a vigilant lookout for patrolling enemies.

Saturn took the free chance to practice some of her fighting technique. Setting down her glaive, she began punching firmly at the air, throwing in an occasional kick or parrying maneuver. Uranus smiled – to his credit, Gohan was a decent teacher of the arts; he knew a tremendous amount for his age, and he had a way of keeping the sluggish princess and self-conscious Saturn motivated and determined.

"Hotaru…" Uranus called her over after a few minutes. The tall woman extended her arm, opening up her hand as a target. "Try hitting it."

Saturn looked a bit timid at first, but she readied herself after a nod of encouragement from Chaozu. After eyeing up the target, Saturn let fly with her fist; it was a quick blow, but Uranus managed to catch it with her fingers. She smiled with a satisfied nod.

"Good, keep practicing!" She replied to her surrogate daughter. Saturn took the compliment well, her eyes widening and a smile crossing her face; she continued her warm-up session with greater vigor than before.

"She's a quick learner," Chaozu commented.

"She has a decent teacher," Uranus replied, albeit grudgingly.

* * *

As they approached the gates of Lord Kaio's palace, they noticed the martial arts master was waiting beaming at them. Seeing Bubbles perched happily on Jupiter's shoulders seemed to be all the evidence he needed to know they'd passed the test. 

"Well," Sailor Jupiter smirked toward Sailor Pluto, who was standing next to Lord Kaio and looking equally as pleased. "Have the doubters been silenced?"

Pluto nodded without a word, but Lord Kaio chimed in for her.

"Ah, yes, you all performed splendidly," He chortled. "While your methods were a bit unorthodox, you were wise to play to your strengths to accomplish your task. You have my admiration!"

"You knew?" Sailor Mars seemed surprised. "But how, I didn't see you anywhere near the fields."

Lord Kaio motioned with one chubby finger toward his antennae.

"I've been observing from here this whole time; I must say that your progress is nothing short of remarkable. Even some of my best students have taken more time to catch Bubbles than you did!"

While Mercury, Mars, and Venus seemed content to bask in the praise, Jupiter couldn't stand still for very long - she very much wanted to quest onward; every second wasted was a second where she wasn't getting stronger.

"Alright, now what do we have to do next? Come on, Lord Kaio, out with it!"

"My, you don't let the grass grow under your feet do you, Sailor Jupiter?" He snickered. "Well, there's been a slight change of plans. Your next opponent was...err...unable to join us. Luckily, I've found a suitable replacement. I believe you'll get along with him just fine! Allow me to introduce you!"

Standing aside, the group noticed the glittering gates of Lord Kaio's estate opening. Out stepped a lone figure.

Jupiter stood mutely in the presence of this new challenger. While he appeared human enough from his appearance - he was also just as dead as they were, as the golden halo over his head indicated - his choice of facial-wear was questionable; his face was completely obscured by a tight-looking cat mask. Jupiter noticed that he bore the same insignia as Lord Kaio on the upper left part of his gi.

"Is he a student of yours?" Mercury ventured a guess.

Kaio laughed as the man silently stepped forward.

"Long ago, he was, almost longer than I can remember," The master informed them. "He's completely mastered my best techniques - with his expertise, you can't possibly go wrong!"

"What's you name, sir?" Sailor Mercury politely asked.

The man attempted to answer, but the mask was strapped so tightly to his face that the words were impossible to decipher. Kaio attempted to speak for him; he glanced back with a bit of concern as the fighter began tugging at the ridiculous mask.

"He's, he's, uh...err...ah, well, his name is not rightly important!" Kaio stammered. "What matters is his knowledge of fighting. This man's a veritable walking library of it, I tell you...He's seen evils and enemies that--"

"Err, Lord Kaio?" Mars inquired. "No offense, but how can we learn from him if we don't know what he's saying?"

The man seemed to brighten as the problem dawned, and without hesitation, he tore the mask from his face, coughing and sputtering for air. His face was beet-red from the tight implement, and he seemed more than glad to toss it away.

"Boy, was that thing itchy; I don't understand how Grandpa was able to stand it for so long…"

Lord Kaio, however, was less enthusiastic, crying out loudly as his disciple's face was revealed.

"No! You fool, what did we agree upon?" He cried out as the man took in a grateful breath of air and sprouted a large, almost child-like smile.

"I don't think it'll matter that much if they know who I am, Lord Kaio," He said nonchalantly. "It's not like I'll be going back with them anyway; besides, all that time travel stuff gives me a headache anyway."

"So you've said..." Kaio dropped to his knees, suddenly appearing very much gloomy and distraught.

"S...sir?" Mercury chimed in again as the man attempted to console the master. "I...it's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for accepting us as students!"

The man bowed politely in return.

"Nah, don't mention it; I was getting so bored just talking to Lord Kaio anyway!" He exclaimed. "It's nice to meet all of you; I'm Goku!"


End file.
